Magic & Brush
by GradGirl2010
Summary: A year has passed since the blot was defeated. Peace had returned to Wasteland. But while everyone is focused on rebuilding Wasteland, the Mad Doctor hatches another plan. Plans which involve the Terror – the Essence – the blot left behind. But once again someone is dragged into Wasteland! Who is this Cat like child? And how can she defeat the Mad Doctor?
1. Another Victim of the Blot

**Magic & Brush**

**A year had passed since the blot was defeated. Peace had returned to Wasteland. But while everyone is focused on rebuilding Wasteland, the Mad Doctor hatches another plan. Plans which involve the Terror – the Essence – the blot left behind. But once again someone is dragged into Wasteland! Who is this Cat like child? And how can she defeat the Mad Doctor?**

**Another Victim of the Blot**

_**This is an AUish fic and my first one for this game. Constructive criticism only. I've been playing with this idea for a while. If you don't like it, don't read or comment!**_

_**Link to character - . / user/itachi_good_boy/ .html? filters[term]=anime %20cat %20girl &filters[primary] =images&sort=1&o=127**_

**(Yensid POV)**

_Not too long ago, a very curious mouse had entered my workshop and saved the land of Wasteland. A land I had created for all forgotten Toons. But I'm afraid the tale did not end there. Ha-Ha…No. Soon another will be swept into the Land of Wasteland by their impetuous curiosity. But like before, their arrival to the strange land will not be for naught. For Wasteland would need a new kind of hero. A hero who would need more than paint, brush, and thinner._

_My Granddaughter, Cecelia, had come to my workshop to visit me. I did so enjoy my white haired granddaughter's visits. Her red eyes beaming with elation. Though I was a little astonished her wardrobe had taken a black turn. She assured me it was just for looks. Her favorite color was still blue. _

_She was anxious to begin her magic training. As she should be. 10 years in age though she may be, she showed much promise as a future sorceress of the highest order. But like all novice witchlings, Cecelia needed to be trained in discipline, conservation, casting, and strategy._

_Discipline over magic entails keeping control over your magic, not the other way around. Magic weighs heavily on the body and mind, often times it can corrupt you if too much is used too fast or before one is prepared for the strain. Taking time and having patience is the key to discipline over magic._

_Conservation of her energy is so not to exhaust herself too swiftly. There is a way to cast powerful spells or a barrage without depleting your stamina. If one conserves their energy and uses small spells in place of large ones, they will prevail and last longer._

_Casting deals with proper pronunciation. Speaking a spell or casting one through hand and body motions incorrectly could yield hazardous consequences and random results. Done correctly…the results can be fascinating._

_Strategy is of the most importance. When you cast one spell, there are times you can combine it with another, creating an astonishing combination. It could be a smiled ice spell to the ground and an electric spell touched to it. Or one could combine the electric and ice together and create something entirely._

_As I stated, my granddaughter was gifted and possessed a great talent. But I'm afraid her discipline leaves much to be desired. A free spirit whose heart is a flutter can often lead to uncontrolled magic. But she was a quick learner. With time and practice she could rival me. Coincidentally, the events that transpired would give her the 'such time' and practice she needed. And it will all be courtesy of his cat like curiosity._

_The hours dawned on the late hours of midnight. I had decided to adjourn to my quarters for a goodnight's sleep. I asked Cecelia to join me upstairs so she may go to bed in a room I had prepared for her. She insisted I allow her to remain awake for a little while long so she could study the tiny magic book I leant her. I granted her an extra five minutes. Then it was off to bed. She thanked me and I was off._

_Two minutes had barely past and already Cecelia's curiosity was beckoning for mischief. On the mantle of my fireplace, her eyes fell upon the paint brush once used by myself and the mouse who entered my workshop. Next to it was the paint and thinner. Had I known what would transpire, I would have put those tools away. But never did I imagine a simple art project would reap such results._

**(Yensid POV end)**

Cecelia dragged a chair to the mantle and stacked four books onto the cushion. She grabbed hold of paint, thinner, and brush and lugged them to the table. Anxious to begin painting a picture, Cecelia anxious searched for a piece of canvas she might be able to use for her project. In her excitement, Cecelia's elbow knocked into the paint. She managed to catch the bottle before it completely spilled over. A few drops splashed out. But they did not touch the table. Instead they hovered in the air. No…The dropped covered something. A pointed…tower? In the middle of a table?

"What do you suppose…?" She trailed off, poking the…point. The paint didn't smudge onto her finger. Instead it drizzled slowly, drawing out a tiny mosaic window on a tower. The other drops revealed a patch of green, some sort of gear, and an odd statue head.

Curious of the drops, Cecelia dipped the paint brush into the blue paint. She prodded the odd tower, drawing it out fully. Cecelia blinked in awe. It was the tower of a castle! Cecelia followed the general direction of the drops, bringing to like a landscape of a wondrous land she had never seen. A land she believed she would only see in her dreams.

**(Yensid POV)**

_After the mouse hero was returned to his world, I placed a chamr over wasteland which made it invisible and intangible to all and everything. Everything, apparently, except paint and that brush. _

_Cecelia reconstructed Wasteland, bringing the beautiful once ravage by thinner back to life. She was saddened by certain areas that seemed decimated and ruined. The thinner disaster – a disaster she was not aware of – had dealt serious damage to the plane. Almost irreversible. Regardless, Cecelia tried to fix it. She soaked the brush in paint and began to paint over the thinner._

_As the brush glided over the vicinity of the Tomorrow City, something happened._

**(Yensid POV end)**

A sharp charge of electrical energy sparked from the mechanical area. It shot up the brush. "OUCH!" Cecelia cried out. The brush fell from her hand. "GRR!" The space erased the paint around it, creating a large circle of green. Green similar to the thinner.

**(Yensid POV)**

_For a reason unknown to me, the land around Tomorrow City was rejecting the paint with a strange ferocity. But Cecelia, a stubborn young lady, would not be deterred. She tried to paint the area once more. The area repelled her. Drawing on more paint she tried once more. The shocks came even faster and stronger. Cecelia's hand began to hurt. But it only strengthened her resolve._

_Taking the bottle of paint she poured its contents onto Tomorrow city. The electrical energy fought back violently. Slapping the paint away, but in vain. The paint covered Tomorrow City, bringing a triumphant smile to Cecelia's face._

_That triumph was short lived._

**(Yensid POV end)**

Through the waterfall of paint, a jet black mush…ink…slithered around the stream like a snake coiling up a tree trunk. The ink shot into the bottle of paint, halting its flow. Cecelia shook the bottle, wondering if she was out. The paint she had poured began to ooze from the space, as if someone was pumping the paint out through a hose. The paint spilled onto the table, dripping onto the floor.

Cecelia, not wanting to get in trouble for making a mess, grabbed the paint sponge and began scooping the paint to the bottle. But it wouldn't go inside. The paint fell to the bottle neck, but it wouldn't enter the bottle. "What gives?" Cecelia snarled impatiently. Glancing through the bottle hole, she sought the problem. A dark green eye glared at her. "AH!" She jumped.

The bottle started vibrating. The contents within the bottle were bubbling violently, foaming out the nozzle. Cecelia snatched up the cork and plugged it. The bubbling paint overwhelmed the bottle. It shattered in an explosion of black and blue. Cecelia was startled back, falling to the floor. She groaned in pain, massaging her rear, ruffling her green, white, and black plaid skirt. "What on earth? AH!" The ink that snaked its way into the bottle writhed on the table like a dying worm.

Cecelia, arching a brow in curiosity, crawled over and climbed up, peering at the ink worm cautiously. "Weird." She prodded it. The worm wriggled, squeaking. Its body was squishy…slick. "Gross." Cecelia giggled. She reached her finger to poke it again. The worm tilted its head up. A mouth with razor sharp teeth drew itself on the worm and snapped. "WHOA!" Cecelia flinched back. The worm hissed, warning Cecelia to keep back. "Well…" She snarled, offended. The worm jerked its body, jumping across the oozing pool of paint and dove back into the electrical area of the landscape. "PFFT! Good riddance." She spat.

The clock on the wall tolled on midnight, indicating the end of Cecelia's five minute reprieve from going to bed. Yawning and stretching, Cecelia meandered tiredly to the spiral staircase, prepared to collapse in her bed for a good night's sleep. She'd clean up the paint tomorrow. For the time being she could blame it on the magic brooms.

Unbeknownst to Cecelia the paint on the table started to _mildly _bubble again. Sharp thinner trails scaled from the landscape, traveling over the pool of paint, mixing and consuming it. The paint and thinner coagulated, turning into a black, inky paste. The paint in the sponge turned to paste as well. The sponge steadily inched toward the landscape like something were pulling at it. The worm that snapped at Cecelia wriggled in the paste, absorbing it into its body.

The pool of paste thinned into a thick arm like tentacle, anchoring itself into the mechanical area of the landscape. "Brrr…arrgghh…" A gargling voice growled. Cecelia touched the fifth step of the staircase before hearing a something crash. Looking back, the thinner bottle was smashed on the floor. Cecelia's eyes widened in horror.

The tentacle lifted its body from the table, exaggeratedly swinging its upper body as a head struggled to form on the end. The sponge was stuck to its body. It was sucked in, dragged down like it were falling down a tube. A five fingered claw like hand sprouted on the end. Paste oozed from the appendages. The fingers drummed, flexing as they were just formed. Cecelia's legs quaked, rooting her to her spot. Her heart pounded against her tiny chest, nearly leaping out of her mouth. Her crimson red eyes were clued in petrified terror.

In the center of the palm, a sickening green eye popped open. The black pupil was a narrowed slit, scanning the room with a deep abhorrence. It was searching for something. _Move…run…get grandpa…_Cecelia subconsciously took a step back. The heel of her black shoe crunched on a piece of stray wood from Yensid's carving hobby.

The eye palm snapped to her direction. Cecelia flinched, cringing with scared whimpers. The three in the eye rippled in red. "_BRAE! BRAE! BRAE!"_ It blared like an alarm. The arm leaned back then lunged forward. Cecelia's leg finally received the massage her brain had been screaming for her to do. She turned on her heels and scrambled up the stairs. The hand gripped her ankle, tripping her on the steps.

"GAH!" She screeched. The hand pulled her back down the stairs. Cecelia clawed her hands into the stone, not wanting to go. Wildly she kicked at the hand, only to get her other foot caught in the paste. "GRANDPAAA!" She shrieked desperately. The hand dragged her along the floor, bringing her toward the table. "GRANDPA HELP ME!" She begged. Tear streamed down her cheeks. "PLEASE…GRANDPA!"

**(Yensid POV)**

_It my bed I was admiring a photograph of my daughter, her husband, myself, and a six year old Cecelia. I had forgotten how similar Cecelia looked to Lyra. She definitely behaved like her father. It was…woefully nostalgic. But I was pleased to know Lyra and Michael lived on in her._

"_GRANDPAAA!" I stiffened in my bed at the voice. It was Cecelia. "GRANDPA HELP ME!" I heard her again. I threw the covers from my person, wondering why she was crying out for me in such a frightful manner. "PLEASE…" I quickened my pace. "GRANDPA!" I stormed down the stairs as fast as my legs would carry me. When I arrived to my working area, I was horrified to see Cecelia being dragged by the ankles by an ink like monster._

"_GRANDPA! HELP ME! PLEASE!" Cecelia wept, tears beading down her face. The creature had started to drag her up the table. With a wiggle of my fingers and a whip of my hand I cast as powerful a spell I could without doing harm to Cecelia. I hit the creature in its body, making it drop Cecelia to the floor, but not release her feet. Cecelia clawed at the arm, desperately trying to get free. I raised my hands to cast another spell. A secondary hand sprouted from the body and struck me in my stomach with an incredible force. The spell in my hands was disrupted. I was winded. "GRANDPA!" Through wincing eyes I saw Cecelia be pulled onto the table. The tips of her shoe were touching Wasteland, being sucked toward Tomorrow City. A tiny vortex had formed. I moved to cast my spell again. The hand swatted at me again, knocking me in the head and into the wall. "GRANDPA, NO!" Cecelia's knees were already consumed. The second hand grabbed hold of Cecelia's legs. I could hear Cecelia little nails claw at the wood. Her whimpers broke my heart. "DON'T LET IT TAKE ME! GRANDPA! PLEASE!" I fought my daze and lunged for her. _

_As Cecelia's torso was consumed, I grasped her little hand and pulled hard. Her crimson eyes pleaded to me with tears to not let go! To save her! I had to! I could not lose her!_

_Once again the hand shot out. I grabbed it, fending it off as I continued to pull Cecelia out. I had her halfway. Her waist was all that remained. Then a third hand emerged, connecting with my face. I released Cecelia. She screamed in despair as she was consumed by the vortex. I reached my hand for the vortex. It could not enter. I could not reach her. So I did the next best thing. I grabbed the brush and Cecelia's spell book. I tapped the purple gem in the center of the book, whispering words. I then tossed the brush and book into the gradually closing vortex, praying they would reach her._

_I know not what became of Cecelia. Nor if she escaped the malicious hands that abducted her. All I could do was pray. Pray that my Cecelia would be safe and find her way back to me._

**I'll leave it there for now. What'd you guys think?**


	2. Escape From Space Voyage

**Escape **

**From **

**Space Voyage**

**Continuing on.**

**I gave Blot a voice! Think of the voice for Mark Hamill would be good! Think of the voice he did for Malefore in Spyro. Look him up.**

**%%%**

Head throbbing, pulsating hard at skull. Body hurting, every muscle ached. Heart pounding, wanting to break free of its chest chamber. Ringing in ears so deafening it was unbearable. "Grandpa…"

'_This girl…?_' An accented voice reverberated. "Hrm…" Cecelia's eyes opened partially, greeted by a thin line of white, and then closed again. '_Should have known…_' "Hnn…" Her eyes blinked and opened slightly wider. A blue…tile? ...panel? floor was seen before they closed again. '_Children are so messy._' "Hm…" Her crimson eyes opened halfway. Her blurred vision clear gradually, revealing an odd…arena. A sky blue ring of panels circled a…digital mound with little towers on it.

"Where…?" Cecelia trailed off, realizing she was inside a bubble of some sort. "How did I get in here?" She moaned. She moved to investigate. Her hands and legs did not budge. Glancing to them, needle like orbs were surrounding her hands and feet, holding her in place. They were suspended spread eagle. "What?!" She steadily began to panic, pulling at her bindings.

"Hey daer, kitty cat!" An obnoxious voice, different from the one heard earlier, cackled. Cecelia jumped, edging away as far as she could. An ugly man dressed in a strange suit smiled at her from beyond the bubble. "Nice of ya tuh wake up! We was beginn'n tuh think you was out for the count!" Cecelia ogled the strange man in fright and confusion. "What's wrong? Cat got yer tongue? BAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!" He threw his head back, holding his portly stomach. Cecelia arched a brow, wondering what was so funny. "OH WAIT!" He pasted his hands to the bubble. "I KNOW!" He knocked on the bubble. "SOMEONE HASN'T LET YA OUTTA DUH BAG!" He clapped his hands to his mouth, trying to fight another pun. "OR DUH BUBBLE! HA-HA-HA!" He rolled backwards. "HOO-HOO-HOO!" He crashed on the panel floors, kicking his legs in the air as he laughed even harder. "OH THESE ARE GREAT!" He flicked a tear of joy from his eye. "I SHOULD WRITE THESE DOWN!"

"Are you quite done with your lame jokes, Petetronic?" _That voice! _Cecelia darted her attention to the voice. Her eyes widened. Standing behind a control panel of sorts was an old man in a lab coat, and a muscular black ink creature…with a long arm, and hand for legs. _THAT HAND! _"We'd like to get started!" The old man howled in his, no doubt, Russian accent. (I think it's Russian.)

"Sorry 'bout dat, Doc." The man named Petetronic breathed, calming himself.

"Oye!" The…Doctor grumbled. His annoyance quickly subsided into delight. He smiled menacingly to Cecelia, sending a number of chills through her spine. "Good morning, My Dear." He bowed. "Forgive the accommodations, but they are necessary." _Necessary for what? _Cecelia trembled mentally. "I am known as The Mad Doctor. This imbecile here is Petetronic. Next to me is a creature known as the Phantom Blot." Cecelia blinked, her mind unable to absorb this information without asking the same question. How did she get here? "I trust your journey wasn't too…_bumpy_." He purred the last would maliciously. _That's right…_ The tail hand wriggled tauntingly, tormenting the anger and fear in Cecelia's heart. _I was grabbed…by that hand. _Cecelia glanced about the area, finding it all similar to that one area she tried to paint only a few minutes ago. _This is…_

"Do not be shy." A rumbling, thundery voice chuckled. Cecelia glanced back toward the doctor and almost jumped from her skin again. The ink creature, The Phantom Blot, was smiling at her with his empty green eyes. "We're sure you have a number of questions." Each time his mouth moved, the gooey strings in his mouth stretched and retracted like spit. "So ask." He gestured to Petetronic and the Doctor, "And we'll answer."

Good judgment told Cecelia to keep quiet. To prolong the suspense of her person so the three before her would get bored and possibly release her by guilt of ineptness. But there was also a danger she could annoy them. And seeing as she was not familiar with them, she possessed no inkling of what they were capable. If they were able to swoop her from her grandfather's workshop and put her in a bubble in a matter of seconds, what else could they do…when she's completely helpless?

"Perhaps we should begin with your name." The Blot hummed. His tail-hand snaked through a hole that drew itself in the bubble. The claw finger tilted her chin up, making Cecelia look the Blot in the eye as he rested on the top of the bubble. "I can assume you have one."

"C…" She swallowed, feeling the claw under her chin, "Cecelia." She croaked.

"Pretty name." The Blot purred. He slithered back to the Doctor's side.

"Um…"

"Yes." The Doctor hummed.

"W-Where am I?"

"In Space Voyage of Tomorrow City." The Mad Doctor winked, "Which is part of the wonderland known as Wasteland."

"Wasteland?"

"A land created for Toons long forgotten by those on the outside. Here, everyone knows who we are. Outside…you're lucky if anyone remembers you were ever created."

"Sounds sad." Cecelia whispered sympathetically. "I'm tempted to apologize."

"No need." Petetronic strained, letting out an obnoxious burp. "Pity don't get you anywhere."

"And it also doesn't spare you from our wrath." The Doctor wagged a finger nonchalantly.

Cecelia swallowed nervously. "What do you mean?" Her voice trembled. "What did I do?"

The Mad Doctor slammed a fist into his control panel. "You poured a bucket full of paint onto us, that's what!" He roared. "You nearly ruined my _three month long _invention!" He pointed to the sky above, "YOU BROKE MY SHIELD!"

"EXCUSE ME!" She roared, tiny sparklets of lightning flashed in her eyes. Petetronic and the Doctor flinched away in surprise, unaware she possessed such powerful lungs. "I WAS IN A WORKSHOP!" Cecelia furrowed her brow in insult, resenting that accusation that "WHEN DID I…" She trailed off. A portion of her hazy memory returned. Before she was abducted, Cecelia was pouring a whole bottle of paint onto _Tomorrow City. _The brush and paint were being repelled fervently. "A shield did that?"She gasped in a whisper.

"An admission of guilt." The Blot chortled. Ceclia dropped her head, terrified as to what she had done. _I was…brought here…because I broke his shield. Curse my curiosity!_

"But she should not worry." The Doctor cackled maniacally, rubbing his gloved hands together. Cecelia arched a brow, scared of what he meant. "You can repay me for the damage you have caused." With a few strokes of his fingers on the panel keys and the pull of a lever, hatches opened on the mound Cecelia was bound to. "By being my first kitty-cat Guinea Pig!"

"Kitty Cat?" Why is he the second one to call her a kitty? More importantly, why did he call her a Guinea Pig? The mound jerked and vibrated, jolting Cecelia side to side. The Doctor threw his head back, cackling victoriously. Out of the four hatches in the floor, a cable from each slithered out, wriggling in the air like snakes being charmed. "What?" She quivered.

Two of the cables snaked into the bubble. Cecelia jerked away, futilely trying to retreat away. The cable ends glued themselves to the side of her head. Cecelia felt the cold moisture of suction cups paste to her temples. Cecelia yanked her head in order to shake off the cable. No dice. She glared fearful daggers to the doctor. Her fear grew when the Blot connected the other two cables into his chest.

"Huh?" The Blot's oozing chest pieced open, revealing a green orb in the center. The cables attached to it as the ooze remained open. _What is that?_

"Now, little kitten," The Mad Doctor cooed tauntingly, placing his hand to a red lever on the panel, "I have a question for you." Cecelia blinked fretfully, watching his hand as she mentally pried it away from that lever. "What hidden terrors keep you awake at night?" He pulled the lever down.

A powerful jolt surged into Cecelia's head, causing the muscles in her neck, shoulders, and chest to tense and spasm. The red in her eyes faded into pure white. Her mouth gaped, Cecelia worded silent phrases in confusion. Her eyes continued to widen in horror. "This is…no…" Her voice quivered. '_Fingers pointing. Malicious laughter. Half-breed, half-breed being sang._' "Not this place…" Her legs trembled, "Not again."

The Doctor gritted his teeth in a malicious grin, shuffling his gloved hands together in triumph. "It's working." The Mad Doctor cackled, crushing his hands together as he threw his head back in hearty laughter. "MY CREATION IS WORKING!" He laughed to the heavens. If he had the power, lightning and thunder would crackle under his very tirade. "Finally…" He wriggled his fingers vengefully, "My revenge on this pitiful toon world…IS AT HAND!"

The Mad Doctor's cackles echoed throughout the Space Voyage Arena. His laughs meshed with the screams Cecelia was now hearing, making her head throb. Her skull felt ready to split open. Cecelia's eyes were squeezed closed, tears flowing down her cheek as she wept. '_A fire raging. Screams of pain…_' "Please no…" She rasped pleadingly, her fingers stiffly curling into a tight fist, "I didn't mean it…I didn't mean too!" '_A building collapsing._' The blot chuckled victoriously. "I'm sorry…" Trickles of white-blue sparks snaked between Cecelia's fingers. A bright green glow emitted around the Blot's body, amplifying the apparent muscles beyond the ooze. "I'm sorry…" The static spanned to the ball around her, and teased the cables connected to her head. Cecelia's eyes flared open. "I'M SORRY!" She shrieked. Bright stream of electricity surged around the cage and Cecelia's restraints. They traveled down the cables and went into the floor.

"WHAT THE HECK!" The Mad Doctor gasped. His control panel popped and short-circuited. The cables fell from Cecelia's head. The imprisoning field dissipated from around her. Cecelia fell, rolling down the mound to the glowing blue tile floor. Her tiny chest puffed in and out rapidly, mostly in relief. The Blot howled in pain, feeling his chest swelling in agonizing pain. A tiny explosion erupted from the floor. The Blot ripped the cables from his chest, staggering back into the wall. Petetronic panicked, gaping in every direction as his confusion raged. From beyond the mound, Petetronic could see Cecelia crawling on all fours, limping as she sought salvation. Chuckling manically, he trudged for her, cracking his knuckles.

Cecelia, smoke emitting from her little body, coughed dryly. A few sparks hawked from her throat. "Ugh…" She groaned, touching the side of her head. It was throbbing. "Thank you random surges."

"Not sure what ya did, kid…" Petetronic towered over her, cracking his knuckles. Cecelia gaped in stone cold fear. She fell to her butt and scrambled away, "Quite frankly, I don't really care." Cecelia pushed herself up with the wall, plastering herself to it in a desperate attempt to get further away. "But let's see ya do it again," He trudged after her, drawing his fist back, "When yer out cold!" The fist lunged. Cecelia pushed herself from the wall, falling to the ground as Petetronic's fist plowed into the wall. "HEY!" He roared to the running Cecelia. "GET BACK HERE, YA SCAREDY CAT!" He tugged at his arm wildly. It was stuck good in the wall. Cecelia whimpered frantically, running for the only path leading to…an elevator? Her only means of escape.

"GRR!" The Mad Doctor galred red. "STOP HER!" He commanded. The hand tail to the Blot slithered into her path, glaring its bright green eye in triumph. Cecelia backed away, her hope of escape fading. Petetronic managed to get his hand free and ran for Cecelia. She turned at hearing his thundering footsteps swiftly approaching her. He cackled psychotically, arms extended out to the side with wriggling fingers. Cecelia looked back to the hand and then to Pete. "YOU'RE DONE, KITTY!" The hand charged. Petetronic jumped. Cecelia ducked to the ground. The hand and Petetronic collided. Petetronic rolled, getting tangled into the tail. The Blot, being taken alogn with the bumbling oaf, grabbed hold of the fried control panel as an anchor. Petetronic fell off the side, dragging the Blot down with him. The Mad Doctor and Cecelia cringed at the loud thud. Of course they were alright. The Blot and Petetronic groaned in pain. "YOU IDIOTS!" The Mad Doctor frothed at the mouth. He glared back to Cecelia, catching her last second as she stumbled into the elevator. "YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!" He ran after.

Cecelia squeaked, seeing the mad man charging after her in a blind rage. "Um…uh-uh…" She searched fervently. The Mad Doctor drew closer. "DOOR! DOOR! DOOR!" There was a red button in between green triangles pointing up and down next to where the door would be. With the Mad Doctor getting closer, Cecelia blindly lunged forward and pressed the upward green button. The Mad Doctor leapt for her. Cecelia cowered behind her arms. The double doors closed. The Mad Doctor smashed right into them. He crumbled to the ground in a daze. Cecelia released a breath of relief.

Suddenly the floor jerked. "AH!" Cecelia fell to her knees. In a powerful motion the floor rose up. Cecelia felt as if her body was being forced into the ground. "UHHH!" Cecelia growled, groaning in irritation. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" She howled.

**%%%**

"Ugh…" The Mad Doctor climbed to his hands and knees, "Ow…" He massaged his bald head. There was a lump with a lump. Petetronic and The Blot managed to climb from the ditch around the arena. The Blot arched his tail and unraveled Petetronic, dropping him on his head. "That Brat…" The Mad Doctor grumbled. "Check the box!" He ordered.

Petetronic, grumbling exhaustedly, walked to the mound and opened a hatch. Reaching down he detached a box from the circuits underneath the floor. The box was similar to a power panel hanging next to a door or panel powered hatch. Petetronic prodded the little box. The screen popped out, sparks fizzled, and it smoked. "Sorry Boss Doc!" Petetronic called to him. "Looks like de box is fried worse than chicken in Ventureland!"

"GRR!" The Mad Doctor growled with a vengeful fist. "That little brat!" He kicked a random wall. White hot pain exploded in his toe. "OW-WOW!" He jumped up and down, wailing in pain. "SHE'S LUCKY I HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN!" He roared, a fist raised to the sky, "OR I'D STRANGLE HER SCRAWNY KITTEN HIDE!"

The Blot ignored Petetronic and the Mad Doctor as they continued to act like the imbeciles that he believed them to be. Though he understood their frustration. "Clearly this girl is similar to that mouse." He muttered to himself. "We should have prepared for a contingency situation like this. The mouse with his brush, and now this girl with her…power." He touched his chest, feeling the orb pulsate within him. He narrowed his eyes. "And here I thought those images were exaggerated." Images of a flash fire plagued his mind. "Current circumstances state otherwise…But…" He trailed off, analyzing his hand as if he were holding cosmic energy, "All of that power…from within that little body." The Blot looked to where Cecelia was imprisoned. Residual electrical streams still surged around the mound. A cynical grin snaked across his lips. "How intriguing."

**%%%**

Cecelia sat in the farthest corner of the elevator car, curled into a ball as her body incessantly quivered. She buried her face into her knees, whimpering in terror as her mind tried to grasp the situation at hand. So far…her mind went into a constant haze. She knew how she got to…Wasteland – or so the Mad Doctor called it. The Blot monster dragged her there. But what the Mad Doctor was trying to do to her. What he tried to do to her with those cables… "What was that?" She managed to escape it. "But only by sheer luck." Now she was on an elevator to Merlin knows where, to – possibly – see even more faces she didn't recognize that may want to do her harm. "Or there could be friendly people." She couldn't truly be sure. All of these questions and she had no answers. Some of them she didn't even want answers too.

"I would like to know why they kept calling me a cat though. HUH?" She gasped in shock. In the reflection of the steel hand bar, Cecelia saw something that she couldn't believe. She crawled to the rail; wanting to be sure that cable didn't fry her mind into delusions. "What…" She trailed off as her hand quaveringly climbed for the top of her head, "Are these?" Her fingers gently pinched fuzzy black cat ears sitting atop her head. She tugged and pulled lightly, feeling small pinches. "These can't be…" She told herself. When they moved, her views on reality shatter. "They are?" They weren't a decorative head piece. "These are real." In the background, something slithered into view. "NO!" Cecelia twisted back. There, wiggling from her lower, was a black tail. "BUT…" She grasped the tail. She winced. It hurt. "HOW…"

The tail…the ears…the Blot thing and Doctor and Pete-whoever – it was all overwhelming. Cecelia staggered back, finding relief when her back touched the wall. She collapsed in her corner, returning to her curled up ball. Now even more questions were being raised. Mostly about the ears and tail, and why it seems like she shrunk a few feet. But one question, however, she desperately sought an answer to. "How do I get back home?"

**%%%**

On the lower floor of Space Voyage, two gremlins floated from the elevator ascending from the Tomorrow City Square. The older Gremlin placed his hands to his forehead like a visor, searching for signs of _out-of-place _characters. Floating for the next elevator on the platform, the bluish-purple gremlin played with a nob on his personal data assistant. The screen in the center was green. A grid had drawn itself out. As the bluish purple Gremlin played with the nob, he increased the search radius and the power frequency. Nothing out of the ordinary was on it. Thanks to Tomorrow City being mostly technology, it was possible whatever he was searching was being masked. Though what happened only moments ago would contradict his theory.

"I'm telling you, Gus," The younger Gremlin grumbled in his British accent, "My Data Assistant picked up on an strong surge of power only moments ago." He shook the Data Assistant, wondering if it was a malfunction. "It was so strong my D.A nearly broke."

"I don't doubt you, Prescott." Gus agreed, eerie of the ominously empty surroundings. "Up until now, no one has been able to enter into Space Voyage." An idea came to mind. "Do you think the paint storm had something to do with it?"

"Perhaps." Prescott put his D.A. into his suit. "We won't know until we investigate." He pressed a button on the elevator.

"We should tread carefully." Gus warned him, grasping his shoulder. "The Mad Doctor could be up there. The Blot as well."

"Precisely why I gave you those cubes." Prescott pointed snootily to the powder blue cubes inside Gus's tiny fanny sack. Gus, curious of the cubes, picked one from the sack. "Throw it or simply smash it – a cloud of paint will explode out and liquefy." He smirked boastfully to himself. "Perfect weapon against a paint intolerant Blot, don't you think?" He bounced his brow, mentally patting himself on the back.

"Most ingenious!" Gus marveled in awe. "Well done Prescott."

With a sweep of his hand, Prescott bowed. "I pride myself on my work." He bragged. "I even tested them on a few of the spatters." He kissed his fingers. "Perfecto."

"Well I hope you're ready." Gus looked to the elevator as the bell tolled at the arrival of their lift. "Our ride is here."

"Peeshaw!" Prescott waved off the concern with a scoff. "It's me, Gus." The hydraulic tubes of the elevator whistled as the lift stayed itself for safe boarding. "I'm ready for anything." He boasted, floating for the lift. The doors barely opened. "OOF!" Prescott was tackled by someone lunging from the lift. Gus gaped in dismay at Prescott lying underneath a young girl with white hair. Both groaned sickly, their eyes swirling in a daze.

Gus smirked impishly, leaning against the elevator with his arms crossed. "Ready for anything, eh?" He teased, chuckling. "Apparently not for cat girls."

"Oh, shove off!" Prescott snarled, leaning on his elbows. He glared abhorrently to the white haired girl. "Pardon me, miss!"  
He snapped, pushing her head up with one finger. "Not that I _mind _being a mattress," Her black cat ears twitched as she leaned up with squinting eyes. "But do you plan to get off?" He put his nose to hers, making her gap at him in utter bewilderment. "Or do I need to push you off?"

The young girl blinked at him, astonished by the odd appearance of the gremlin. Her crimson eyes filled with confusion. Not that Prescott noticed. "What…on…earth?" She stammered, her mind still a haze.

"Fine!" Prescott shoved her back. Not hard. Just enough to get her off. The girl gawked at him, even more astonhsied that he pushed her. "Ursula's Eels!" Prescott cursed, dusting himself off. "Not even Ortensia's as dim as you!" _Ortensia? _The girl thought.

"Come now, Prescott," The girl glanced to the chuckling Gus, "Do lighten up on the girl." He requested, helping her to her feet. "She's obviously in a rush. She probably just didn't see you."

"Or didn't want to!" Prescott snarled venomously. He pulled out his Data Assistant and began to fervently play with the nob. That moment beckoned him to review previously recorded information. The girl watched him in confusion, her black tail wagging.

"Oh don't mind him." Gus reassured the flustered girl. "Prescott can be a little touchy," He used the phrase loosely, "But he's a good chap." He extended a hand. "My name is Gus." He introduced. "Who might you be, my dear?"

"Um…uh…" She absentmindedly grasped the hand, "Cecelia."

"A pleasure, Cecelia."

"AH-HA!" Prescott blurted, startling Gus and Cecelia. The fur on her ears and tail stood on end. "I KNEW IT!" Prescott faced the Data Assistant to Gus and Cecelia, practically forcing them to look at it. There was a blocky graph drawn out. A light bulb with zigzags around it, and a cat head below it. "Our young friend here is just arriving from the same place my device picked up that odd energy spike!" Gus gawked at Cecelia in worry. Cecelia took a step back, feeling like she was in trouble. "Her _RUSH_ is due to her trying to cover her tracks!"

"Cover my tracks?" Cecelia repeated confused by him meaning.

"YES!" Prescott got close to her face. "Admit it!" He commanded. "You're one of the Mad Doctor's new assistants!"

"Mad Doctor?" Cecelia gasped. _The bald man from earlier! _Cecelia gritted her teeth, fuming in insult. Prescott stepped away at the death bound glare in her eyes. "ARE YOU MAD?" She roared, standing on her tiptoes so to try and gain some height on him. "HE JUST TRIED TO FRY MY BRAIN! HE AND THAT INKY, BLOT THING!" Prescott shrunk to the ground, suddenly ashamed of his accusation. "Not to mention I was nearly trampled by that clumsy idiot!" She cast an open palm to the elevator. "I WAS ESCAPING, YOU MORON!" She grabbed him by the collar. "NOT _COVERING MY TRACKS!_" Prescott was back on the ground, quaking in fear. The girl was much scarier than he gave her credit.

"Clumsy idiot?" Gus interjected, hoping to cease the upcoming altercation. "Who do you mean?"

Cecelia, returning the favor, shoved Prescott away. "The one who calls himself Pete…uh…" She scratched her ear, "Pete…oh…phonic." She touched her chin.

"Petetronic?" Prescott finished bitterly, fixing his collar.

"Yeah! That's it!"

"So the Mad Doctor did get him." Gus retorted sadly. "Are they still up there?"

"Last time I checked." Cecelia shrugged her hands.

"BWAH!" Prescott screamed. Gus and Cecelia looked at him like he was strange. Prescott pointed a trembling hand to the elevator. A thick wall of ink, oozing from the ceiling, slid down the outer shaft of the elevator. Creatures with snaggletooth's, giants eyes, and cans of thinner formed, dripping down.

"AH!" Cecelia cowered away. "WHAT ARE THOSE?" She screamed.

"BLOTLINGS!" Gus howled. "WE HAVE TO GO!" Prescott was already gone, getting the elevator to Tomorrow City Square up and running. "COME ON!" Gus grabbed Cecelia's hand. He wrenched himself upward, bringing Cecelia's feet from the ground. Cecelia gaped in awe. Gus dashed after Prescott, literally flying at top speed. Were it not for the fact they were running for their lives, Cecelia would find it awesome that she was flying.

The Blotlings splashed to the ground, reforming instantly. The ones in the shape of eyes and the other with two legs immediately ran after them. Luckily Prescott got the door opened. The three huddled inside. As the door began to close, two large hands in the upper corners wrenched them open. Behemoth blotlings poked their heads into view, roaring at the top of their lungs.

"AAAHHHH!" Cecelia cried, hugging onto Gus. "SLOBBERS!" Prescott howled in disgust. "There had to be Slobbers! AH!" The faster Blotlings were nearly upon them. Prescott heatedly pressed the button, his panic rising as the Slobbers laughed at him. "DRAT!"

Gus spread his arms out protectively, putting himself between Cecelia and the blotling hoard. Prescott got out his Data Assistant. A powerful taser appeared between the antennas. A stream of lightning struck and slowed the smaller blotlings. But the skinny tall ones were a lot tougher. "I count at least…ten blotlings." Gus announced grimly. "I hope you have an upgrade for that thing, Prescott."

"Afraid not!" Prescott trembled, pressing buttons frantically.

Cecelia felt guilty just standing there while those two tried to protect her. Two complete strangers, nonetheless, fighting the trouble she brought with her. _I can't just sit here! _But what can she do? She has magic. But she's a novice at best. What spell could she use… "THAT'S IT!" Cecelia darted to the front of Gus and Prescott.

"What are you doing?" Prescott panicked.

"Just watch!" Cecelia extended two fingers, touching them to the sides of her eyes. The Blotlings got closer. Cecelia, Prescott, and Gus could literally feel the ground under their feet vibrate. "There!" Cecelia closed her eyes. "_By the power of light, shine bright_!" She chanted commandingly. "_ALAKAZAM!_" She flared her eyes open. A powerful white light flashed, consuming the area. Prescott and Gus shielded their eyes. The Blots above the door roared, falling to the ground as they covered their eyes. The other blots stopped in their tracks, covering their eyes and falling backwards. Cecelia closed her eyes, sealing off the light. When she opened her eyes, she smirked proudly at her work.

Prescott and Gus gasped in awe. The small number of Blotlings writhed on the ground, their bodies' spazzing in a daze from the bright light. "Amazing!" Prescott gaped.

"Ugh…" Cecelia fell backwards with a hard thud. "Ha-ha-ha…"She laughed drunkenly. Dazed bubbles twinkled around her head.

"Are you alright?" Gus asked, propping her up. Prescott returned to the door and smashed the button. "Cecelia, say something!" He begged, not noticing the elevator beginning to rise. "How many fingers do you see?" He held three fingers to her face.

Cecelia's smile widened in a drunken stupor. "Look…" She slurred, touching the fingers, "Pretty fishies." She giggled dizzily. The glow in her cheek quickly dimmed. Her smile quickly faded, as if a switch in her mind had shut off. She collapsed into Gus's hold, falling unconscious.

"Close enough." Gus chuckled.

Prescott hovered over Cecelia, bewildered by the girl's disoriented consciousness. Cecelia lied in Gus's arms, no different from a kitten taking a nap. "Is she going to be alright?" Prescott asked.

"Looks like." Gus assured him. Cecelia breathed heavily, fighting to regain her lost wind. On a plus note the color was returning to her cheeks. "She's probably just a little worn down. Hm?" Gus turned Cecelia's head to the side. Something…black was hidden beneath her hair. Gus narrowed his eyes worriedly. Removing her hair from her face, Gus gaped in horror. "This must be why!"

Prescott lurched over and saw what he was talking about. On Cecelia's temples were swollen, slightly charred circles. "These are from powerful charges of electricity!" Prescott boomed. "You don't think…"

"I do." Gus rumbled ominously. "We must get her to the castle at once!" He ordered Prescott.

Prescott didn't argue. He plugged his data assistant into the elevator, increasing its speed. "That maniac!" He growled. "He used the Terror Box on her!"

**To be continued. **

**Sry if there wasn't much. I'll have more next chapter.**


	3. Contingency Plans

**Contingency**

**Plans**

**Continuing on.**

**%%%**

"Ugh…" Cecelia groaned. Black rings formed under her eyes. Her porcelain cheeks were flushed red. Her breathing was raspy and drawn out.

In one of the rooms of Dark Beauty Castle, Gus and Prescott placed her on one of the beds, covering her up with thick blankets. The black marks on the temples of her head were easily washed off. But the swollen circles would take a while to disappear. Ortensia ran in with a bucket of cold water. Ringing out a rag, Ortensia placed it on Cecelia's forehead. A good sign was Cecelia's shiver. Meaning she was resting instead of being in a comatose state.

"How is she, Ortensia?" Gus asked worriedly.

"Well…" Ortensia placed a hand to Cecelia's face. "She's a little warm." She diagnosed attentively. "You said the Mad Doctor used the Terror Box on her." She hummed pensively. "Then she used a powerful flash of…magic to stop the blotlings?" Prescott and Gus bobbed their heads. Ortensia gaped in amazement, ogling Cecelia in awe. When she saw the red drain from Cecelia's cheeks, a relieved smile beamed. "Don't worry. She's just a little tired. Once Oswald gets back from Ostown with the tea I asked for, she should be fine."

Prescott and Gus let out long held breaths. "Thank goodness." Gus wheezed. "I was worried the Lonesome Manor would have a new resident."

Prescott poked a finger roughly into Gus's nose. "This probably never would have happened had you used the paint cubes!" He scolded, insulted that Gus didn't use his newest creation. "Why didn't you use the paint cubes?" The chomping teeth in his eyes demanded an answer.

Gus laughed nervously, fiddling his fingers with beads of sweat dripping down his face. "Well…you see…uh…" He stammered dumbly, rubbing the back of his head. "I sort of…kind of…unintentionally…" He shrugged his hands with guilt, "Forgot?"

Volcanoes erupted in Prescott's eyes. Steam roared from his ears. Ortensia staggered back, blocking Cecelia from Prescott's fueling rage. "Thank Fairy God Mother you're not awake." Ortensia blessed her.

"YOU FORGOT!" Prescott roared, fire spewing from his mouth. A number of veins broke in his head. "I WORKED HARD ON THOSE CUBES, TESTING AND RETESTING THEM, FOR THREE MONTHS," Prescott clamped his hands to Gus's neck, making the gremlin's head swell, "AND YOU FORGOT?"

"Not…" His head swelled even bigger, "Intentionally…" Prescott shook him violently.

Ortensia laughed timidly, finding Gus's situation beyond hope. "Ugh…" Ortensia's ears twitched up. She turned toward the bed. "Hm…" Cecelia's eyes squeezed tighter together. She shifted under the covers. Prescott stopped shaking Gus for a moment, noticing Cecelia beginning to stir. Gus glanced back as well, hoping they weren't the cause. "Grandpa…" She mumbled dryly. _Grandpa?_The three thought curiously. "Merlin and Archimedes are arguing again."

"Merlin?" Gus blinked.

"Archimedes?" Prescott chirped.

"Perhaps people she knows?" Ortensia questioned. "People not from Wasteland?"

"Not to state the obvious," Prescott remarked snidely, "But she isn't exactly a Wasteland native." He pointed critically to Cecelia. "It only makes sense the people she mentioned from here either."

"You'd…be…right." The three gawked in surprise. Peeking through one eye, Cecelia smiled weakly to the small crowd.

Gus, Prescott, and Ortensia beamed in relief. "Thank goodness you're alright." Ortensia cheered.

Prescott touched a hand to his chest, sighing with relief. But the moment he realized he was expressing concern, Prescott crossed his arm and turned his back to Cecelia. "Well she wouldn't be this way had GUS used my invention, and she wasn't so reckless!" He berated.

"Prescott, please!" Ortensia scolded the bitter gremlin. Prescott scoffed under his breath. Ortensia rolled her eyes and returned her attention to Cecelia. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone…dropped a boulder on my head." She tried to laugh. Cecelia speech was hoarse and winded. It was to be expected given her ordeal. But the fact the color was returning to her cheeks and the black rings were almost gone meant she was getting better. "Where am I?"

"You're in Dark Beauty Castle." Gus answered softly. "A sort of headquarters slash alternative place of stay."

"I remember you." Cecelia smiled. "Gus, right?"

"Correct." Gus laughed giddily. "I'm pleased you remember."

"_Oh good_," Prescott swooned sardonically, clapping his hands together to the side of his face, "The little kitten recalls something."

Cecelia knit her brow sharply. "And you're the jerk, Bishop!" She hissed.

"BISHOP?" Prescott boomed. Ortensia and Gus stifled chuckles. "IT'S PRESCOTT, YOU FORGETFUL FELINE, PRESCOTT!"

Cecelia raised her nose haughtily, "Since I'm…forgetful…" She smriekd brazenly to the fuming gremlin, "You'll have to…remind me to care." Prescott gritted his teeth, infuriated that that outsider had the gawl to speak to him so crudely.

"Anyway…" Ortensia intruded, holding Cecelia's hand gently, "My name is Ortensia. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Cecelia moved her eyes about the castle room. Most of her memories this were a blur. Seemed to be the main side effect of Wasteland. "How did I get here?"

"Do you mean in Wasteland or in the Castle?" Prescott answered sourly. "Because I can assure you your arrival to Wasteland must have been easier than lugging you here!"

Not wanting to take his insults lying down, Cecelia struggled to her elbows and sat straight up. Ortensia rushed behind her in case she fell back. Cecelia, obviously weak and with sweat beading down her brow, glared Prescott down, showing she wasn't a pushover. "Are you this kind to all of your visitors? Or only those that aren't that are too weak to punch you?"

"Let's just say I don't appreciate outsiders thinking they can just waltz into our world whenever they please!" _Outsiders?_Cecelia thought, caught off guard by the retort. _Was someone else here before me?_He narrowed his eyes challengingly to Cecelia. "And believe me, child, it wouldn't matter if you were in bed or not!" He forewarned ominously. "That little _flash_of yours isn't enough to scare me!"

Cecelia's face glowered darkly. "Prescott!" Gus roared. "That is enough! There's no call for your rudeness!" Cecelia slid off the bed, squaring off to the offensive gremlin. "No, Cecelia!" Gus implored her. "You shouldn't move!" The cat girl's body trembled visibly. But – judging from her grudging expression – to say stubbornness was keeping Cecelia aloft wasn't too farfetched. Gus and Ortensia moved to support her.

"Who says I can only flash?" Cecelia's ears erected straight up. Streams of electricity conducted between them. Ortensia and Gus flinched back. "I can electrify as well!" The charge made her hair hover. Prescott backed away, gaping in fear but amazement. "Now tell me, _Prescott,_" She clenched her fists, "Are you scared now?" A sharp pinch struck Cecelia's mind. She winced in pain. The electricity died down. "Uh…" She groaned, wobbling dizzily. "I take back what I said." Cecelia collapsed to the floor. Gus and Ortensia rushed to her side, worried she may have damaged herself further. "I couldn't light a light bulb."

"Not too sound ignorant," Gus responded cautiously, "But what you did…is that really magic?"

"Yeah." Cecelia answered exhaustedly. "I'm what most people refer to as a sorceress."

"Intriguing." Gus studied her.

"Not really." Cecelia corrected him bashfully. "I'm a novice at best." She hung her head tiredly. "But with the shape I'm in, I couldn't threaten a bunny."

"Then I'm almost glad I showed up." All eyes looked to the door. Cecelia arched a perplexed brow. A rabbit entered the door with a black bag. "Hi Ortensia." He waved. "Sorry if I took so long. I found something that caught my interest."

"You're actually right on time, Oswald." Ortensia congratulated.

"Oswald?" The name rolled off Cecelia's tongue. "The Lucky Rabbit?"

Oswald placed a proud fist to his chest. "Yep! That's me!"

"Oh wow!" Cecelia beamed. "I've heard about you!" She extended a hand out. "It's nice to meet you! I'm Cecelia."

Oswald set the bag down and shook her hand. "Nice to meet ya, Cecelia." Prescott rolled his eyes.

"So, Oswald, what did you find?" Gus asked animatedly.

"Oh yeah!" Oswald dug through the bag. "First there's this!" He held out a little book. "It hit Goofy in the head."

"Hey…" Cecelia reached out for the book. "That's my spell book." She pointed to the engraving C.Y. "Those are my initials."

"Well then," Oswald happily handed it over, "Here ya go."

"Thank you." She hugged it close.

"And then there's this!" Oswald displayed the brush happily. Cecelia gaped in shock. "I found Mickey's brush!" _Mickey? His brush?_

"THAT'S GREAT!" Ortensia cheered. "That must mean Mickey's here somewhere!"

"Great," Prescott rolled his eyes, "Just what we need. Another outsider." Gus laughed dismally, giving up on Prescott and his sour mood.

"Um…" Cecelia raised her hand, gaining everyone's attention, "I hate to spoil the mood," She pointed sheepishly to the brush, "But that brush belongs to my grandfather."

Prescott's curiosity was piqued. Gus and Ortensia gazed confusedly at the red eyed girl. Oswald arched a defensive yet curious brow. "What do you mean?" Oswald asked grizzly.

"That's the brush I was using before the Blot dragged me down here." She explained, believing they deserved a good explanation. "However…" She scratched the side of her head. Her cheeks puffed angrily as she pouted, "That wasn't until after that weird tail hand of the blot broke my paint bottle."

"Hold up," Oswald stopped her there, "How does that work?" He questioned skeptically. "The Blot's tail hand? He has legs."

"Not when I saw him." She flexed her hand. "When I saw him he had an arm and a hand for a tail."

Ortensia and Prescott tilted their heads to the side. Question marks could be seen hovering over their heads. "Perhaps you should start from the beginning." Gus suggested. Cecelia laughed at herself, thinking that was for the best.

Cecelia began by explaining she was up late in her grandfather's workshop when she saw Wasteland on the table. Curious of the world, Cecelia used the brush and painted it in. But when she went to paint in…Tomorrow City?...her brush couldn't reach it. Something was repelling it. Probably the shield the Mad Doctor whined about.

Gus confirmed her suspicions. The Mad Doctor built a force field around the Space Voyage area of Tomorrow City. It uses a little paint to power itself up.

Cecelia then went on to explain that she became irritated and poured a bottle of paint onto the City. There was a lot of electricity, and then an ink stream travel into the bottle and shattered it. After that an ink worm wriggled around, then jumped back into the world. Cecelia decided to leave the paint where it was. A scolding from her grandfather was worth the sleep she needed. But when she turned around, there was thinner and paint on the table. She wasn't sure how it got there. But the worm began to absorb it all, including the sponge, turning into that hand tail she saw the Blot have.

Gus concluded the Blot injured himself. Because he was resurrected, the Blot wasn't strong enough to resist the effects of paint or thinner. The paint must have wounded him, taking away his feet and legs.

The hand tail then grabbed Cecelia, dragging her to Wasteland. Yensid tried to save her, but the Blot hurt him and she got dragged into Wasteland. The next thing she knew, she was attached to some machine, escaped, then ran into Gus and Prescott.

"That's how we get to this point." Gus concluded.

"So mickey never came with you?" Oswald pressed, hoping her answer would change.

"I don't even know who that is." Cecelia admitted sadly. "But I promise you, Oswald, I was the only one who came here."

"Are you sure?" He quizzed sternly. "Because the last time he was here, Mickey used this brush to save us." The brush glimmered with a certain energy. "This brush never went anywhere without him."

"Last time he…was here? But who…" Cecelia trailed off, finding the story familiar. "THE MISCHEIVOUS MOUSE!" She blurted, startling everyone. "Grandpa told me about him!" She elucidated, exciting Oswald. "He told me that a mouse entered his workshop and found his way here!" She eyed the brush in wonder. "He must have brought the brush with him!"

"Brought it, used it, and fought bravely with it." Gus mentioned, honored he was able to bear witness. "Oswald and I traveled with him."

Oswald blushed bashfully. "I wouldn't say I traveled with him." For most of the journey, Oswald ignored Mickey and gave him a hard time. "But Mickey saved our forgotten hides." He sighed sadly, "I was hoping he could do it again. We could use his help."

Cecelia's ears drooped sadly. "I'm sorry. But..." She trailed off, thinking on what Yensid told her, "If what Grandpa told me was true, then in order to come to Wasteland Mickey would have to get to the workshop through the mirror." She shrugged her hands, "But that mirror has such a mind of its own, it could take ten years before it decides to lure Mickey in again."

"Are you sure?" Prescott asked skeptically. "How do you come to this conclusion?"

"My grandpa's never been able to figure out if the mirror's mischievous or malicious." She shrugged her shoulders. "But what we have learned if that it likes to cause trouble."

Oswald grabbed his ears and twisted them under his chin in frustration. "WE DON'T HAVE TEN YEARS!" He boomed. "WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TEN MINUTES!" Oswald collapsed sadly to his butt. "Mickey's the only one who REALLY knows how to use the brush. Without him, we may not have a chance."

Looking around, Cecelia could see the desperation and sadness in the Toons' eyes. This…Mickey Mouse was important to them. A beckon of hope. Cecelia almost felt guilty about arriving without him. Regardless if she knew him or not. But if Mickey was a friend and travel companion, he needed to be brought here. Especially if he can help.

"Hmm…" Cecelia hummed pensively. Opening her spell book, Cecelia fervently searched the extensive table of contents.

"What are you doing?" Ortensia asked.

"Looking for a way to bring Mickey here."

"WHAT?" Oswald blurted, dropping to his knees to her. "You can do that?" He asked hopefully.

"Maybe." She answered skeptically, not wanting him to get his hopes up. "I'm only a novice…" He skimming finger slowed, "But if Mickey got to my grandfather's workshop through that tricky mirror, we may be able to do the same."

"Tricky mirror?" Prescott questioned.

"There's a mirror my grandfather has that literally has a mind of its own. Mickey must have gotten to the workshop through it."

"How?" Ortensia asked.

"I don't know. The mirror was either being funny or knew he was needed. Not even grandpa knows how it works."

Prescott moved Oswald aside and glowered sourly. "Then how does any of this dribble help us?"

Cecelia plastered a hand to his face. "If you'd allow me to continue, perhaps you'll find OUT!" She snapped, shoving him back. Prescott sputtered angrily. "Here!" Her finger prodded a content direction. She skipped ahead ten pages. "Seek and Deliver." The name of the category. "If I'm reading this correctly," She borrowed the brush from Oswald, "All we need to do in order to get Mickey here is create the same gateway the mirror did."

"How do we do that?" Gus asked, getting excited.

"The brush." Cecelia answered confidently. She climbed to her feet, becoming lightheaded as she rose. Ortensia and Gus grabbed her by the arms, helping her to her feet. Cecelia giggled. "Do you guys have a huge mirror somewhere?"

"Yeah." Oswald pointed out the door. "The Castle Parlor."

"Take me there."

**%%%**

The Mad Doctor and The Blot entered into Tomorrow City Square. Petetronic came stumbling after them. The Mad Doctor turned around and pressed button on a remote. Rapid incessant beeps alerted from Petetronic's back. The containers on his back, filled with thinner suddenly shattered, melting Petetronic's body into a puddle. On his head remained solid.

"HEY!" He struggled to pull himself back together. "C'MON YOU GUYS!" He pleaded. "YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME LIKE DIS!"

"We won't!" The Mad Doctor assured his sarcastically. "I'm sure the spatters with make quick work of you."

"WAIT!" Petetronic looked around frantically, preying no spatters were around. "YOU CAN'T DO DIS TO ME! I HAVE RIGHTS!"

"So what is this contingency plan of yours?" The Blot asked impatiently, ignoring Petetronic in the background.

"Rule one of Science, my Blotty friend." The Mad Doctor boasted. "Always have a backup." He produced the broken Terror Box deivce. "That little girl may have broken this one," His grinned widened, sharpening his mustache, "But I have an even better one awaiting us in my lab."

"Impressive." The Blot remarked halfheartedly.

"Plus we will need to make another side trip."

"Where?"

"To Mickey Junk Mountain." The Mad Doctor glared to the night sky of Tomorrow City. "I have no doubt in my mind those idiot Toons are plotting against me as we speak. Most likely they are trying to get that ridiculous brush wielding mouse here to help them again."

"Yes…" The Blot hissed. "I know of whom you speak." The Blot touched his stomach. "I can still feel that rodent rummaging around through me!" He growled vengefully. "And with that child with them, they pose a threat."

"What? That little girl with the cute ears? PEH!" The Mad Doctor spat to the ground. "That little girl is more of hindrance than square wheels."

"Yet she broke your device."

"A technical error." The Mad Doctor continued to deny. "For now, that girl is an innocuous nuance." The Blot furrowed his green eyes, not so sure of the Mad Doctor's bravado. "Now let us get to the lab." The Doctor pulled a sponge out from his lab coat. "There is something I wish to try."

The Mad Doctor could tinker with his little toys all he wished. The Blot needed to be cautious, up to date on what his enemies were doing. If the Rabbit and his friends intend to summon the mouse, the Blot needed to do whatever he could to put a halt to that plan. But where would the Rabbit and his friends go to bring their ally to this world.

"The Castle…"

**%%%**

The Castle Parlor was a cozy room. Not too big or too small. Pictures of Oswald and Ortensia in different seasonal wear hung on the wall, giving the room a certain romantic flare. The fireplace brought the space together. And with it ignited the room was warm.

"Will that mirror work?" Gus pointed to the mirror above the mantle.

"That's perfect!" Cecelia beamed. Darting for the coffee table, she dragged a chair to the mantle. Climbing to the mirror, Cecelia prodded it. "This will work perfectly." Her tail wagged. "Oswald, you told me you saw Mickey through a small window right?"

"Yeah. Right after our fight with the Blot, he just appeared in in a weird window and then disappeared."

"Okay…" Cecelia stroked the brush, straightening the bristles. Prescott and Oswald gawked, tilting her head in confusion. Gus had to admit he was confused.

"I wrote the note you asked for." Ortensia announced, showing the small piece of paper.

"Great." Cecelia folded the paper and tied it to the brush.

"How does this work again?"

"My grandpa taught me this." She explained elatedly. "When bringing one to from one plane to the next, its important that they have a link with this place or you have something of theirs to lead them back." The four bobbed their heads. "Thanks to the link Mickey has with this place, and because of that window Oswald mentioned, part of Mickey is still here."

"That makes sense." Prescott agreed snidely. "But how does the brush help?"

"If Oswald follows the instructions I gave, the brush will get Mickey."

The four gaped in doubt, "IT WILL?"

"Yep." Cecelia confidence slowly began to dwindle. "But I haven't performed this before." She laughed nervously. "This will be my first time."

"Oh _well_," Prescott shrugged his hands, "Much help you are!"

"GRR!" Lightning conducted between Cecelia's ears. A stream shot out and struck Prescott in the goggles on his head.

"YOUCH!" His body lit up like a lightning rod. Smoke emanated from his charred body. "GRR!" Prescott grabbed a paint cube from Gus and threw it at her.

"AH!" Cecelia threw up her hands. The cube exploded, covering Cecelia in paint. "EW! GRR!" Prescott and Cecelia clashed foreheads, boring their glares into the other's head. Prescott kept another cube in his hand while Cecelia conducted more static.

"You're pressing your luck, WITCH!" Prescott warned her.

"Sorceress! And your luck's run out with me, NERD!" They shoved their heads closer, engaging in a grudge match.

White gloved hands slid between the colliding foreheads. "EE-NOUGH!" Gus roared, splitting them apart. The two still tried to butt heads. "Do we need to separate you two? Or can you put this little rivalry aside for the greater good? LIKE SAVING OUR HOME!"

"Uh…" Cecelia and Prescott groaned guiltily, looking to the ground in shame. Huffing grumpily, the two folded their arms and turned their backs, pouting childishly.

Gus raised his hands, believing the crisis averted. "Now both of you shake hands and call a truce. Alright?" Cecelia and Prescott peered through glares, growling in the back of their throats. Reluctantly they shook hands. "Lovely. Now can we get back to the spell?"

"Fine." Cecelia rumbled. Taking the brush in her hand, Cecelia touched three points on the brush. The handle tip, the middle, and the tip of the bristles. "Okay." She breathed. She brought the brush in close. "_Who's the wielder of the brush that's friends to all you see?_" She sang, prodding the three points in rhythm of the song. "Oswald." She held the brush towards him.

Oswald swallowed nervously dreading his part. Gulping down his pride, he squeezed his eyes closed and grudgingly said, "M-I-C…K-E-Y…M-O-U-S-E!" The brush began to glow bright gold. Ortensia giggled, clapping and cheering for Oswald. His entire face turned red.

Cecelia handed the brush to Gus and pointed to the corners and sides of the mirror. He nodded in understanding. "_Hey there, hi there, ho there – you're as welcome as can be._" Gus poked the edges of the mirror in sync with the song. Cecelia pointed to Oswald who wanted to tie his ears around his neck.

"_M-I-C…"_Gus spelt the letters out on the mirror. "_K-E-Y…"_ The gold glowed on the glass. "_M-O-U-S-E_! MICKEY MOUSE!" He blurted. Gus poked the center of the mirror. The brush floated from his hands, spinning slowly like a wheel. Images of Mickey's many years as a cartoon icon cycled through the glass. Cecelia and the other toons watched in awe and wonder at the film reels of his success. The brush inched away from the mirror, aimed towards it, and shot through, making the mirror ripple like a disrupted puddle.

"Now what?" Oswald asked anxiously.

"Now…" Cecelia sat in the chair, watching the mirror in anticipation, "We wait." _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_"What?" Cecelia jumped. The two Gremlins glanced to the door. Oswald jumped in front of Ortensia, not liking those knocks.

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_The pounding came at the wooden door again, louder and harder. Cecelia and Ortensia retreated into a corner, protected by Gus, Oswald, and Prescott. _BOOM! BOOM…_Everyone froze, waiting for the last boom. When it didn't come, the five wondered if the mysterious guest had left. _BOOM!_The door flew off its hinges, falling to the floor. A slobber stood in the door way, laughing maliciously.

"Isn't that…" Cecelia trailed off.

"A slobber!" Oswald hissed, pulling his remote from his pocket. "How'd that get in here?"

"Why is it even here?" Ortensia asked.

"The Mad Doctor must have figured out what we're up to!" Gus howled. Appearing fomr behind the Slobber were two Blotlings with paint cans filled with thinner. "SWEEPERS! Careful! They throw thinner!"

The three Blotlings entered into the parlor, closing the five into a corner. Oswald and Prescott aimed their remotes, prepared to fight them back. Gus looked after Cecelia and Ortensia. Cecelia growled, feeling their hard work being all for nothing. That's when she noticed the Slobber looking at the mirror. When she followed his gaze, she saw he was fascinated by the twinkling. If Gus was right, and the Mad Doctor knew they were trying to summon Mickey…

"KEEP THEM AWAY FROMM THE MIRROR!" She commanded. "IF IT BREAKS…MICKEY MAY NEVER GET HERE!"

"Never as in..." Oswald trailed off grimly.

"We'll have to hope my grandfather's mirror decides to lure Mickey in again."

**To be continued. Next chapter – if I'm not interrupted – should be up sometime today**


	4. Welcome Back Mickey

**He there, Hi There, Ho There**

**Welcome Back Mickey**

**Continuing on.**

**%%%**

Dismounting from The Mad Doctor's Beetleworx dome, The Mad Doctor and Blot meandered through the worn out attic, heading for the vault. The Mad Doctor was disturbed by how much of his equipment was confiscated by the other Toons. But it was nuance. He could replace and rebuild it all when he chose.

Using the code to the vault door, The Mad Doctor entered into the vault, cackling victoriously. "Those fools believe breaking my device will save them." He chuckled. "Little do they know…" He dug a box out from under a loose floorboard under the table, "I always have a backup." He opened the box, revealing a green remote with a navy blue button and several beetle shaped chips with a red and black eye in the back. "OOH-HOO-HOO! THIS IS GOING TO BE DELICIOUS!"

The Blot remained outside while the scientists played with his little toys. He growled irritably in the back of his throat, with his arms folded, listening to the bald man laugh like a crazed loon. _BLARE! BLARE! BLARE!_ The Blot turned around. A Seer Blotling bounced on its skinny red legs, blaring excitedly.

"You've found them?" The Blot asked. The Seer blared again, only now it was beeping in code. "So they are in the castle." The Seer trilled and squeaked. "I do not mind that you engaged them. But what I need to know is what they are up to." The Seer growled heatedly, glaring eerie daggers to his master. The Blot smiled wickedly. "So they ARE summoning the mouse. Through a mirror no less." The Blot stroked his chin pensively, wondering how they planned to get Mickey to Wasteland.

They weren't able to summon Mickey before. In fact they've been frantically and futilely trying to save their precious world on their own. But now that the little kitten girl is with them, suddenly they found a means to get the Brush Mouse to this world.

_The Terror Box. _The Blot thought, having an epiphany. Before the box broke, the Blot saw images of a sudden flash fire which seemed to generate from the child. Then somehow the girl sabotaged the device in Tomorrow City. Then, from what the surviving Blotlings informed him, the little kitten's eyes flashed and they were blinded. Now the Toons of Wasteland are attempting to summon the Brush Mouse with a mirror?

The Blot chuckled menacingly. "My, my, my," He hummed, "This child is very interesting."

**%%%**

The Slobber drew an arm back, summoning thinner into its palm. He lined up his aim to the mirror. "STOP THE SLOBBER!" Ortensia shrieked. Prescott immediately shocked the Slobber, making him drop the thinner into the floor. Ortensia and Cecelia let out a breath of relief. The Sweepers came forward and tossed their thinner. "AH!" Ortensia screamed. Cecelia grabbed Ortensia by the hand and pulled her out of the way. The thinner splashed to the floor, thinning the color from sight. Cecelia swallowed a nervous lump; not wanting to know what would happen if the thinner fell on any of them.

Oswald and Prescott charged for the Sweepers. The Slobber reached his hands out, grabbing both and throwing them into the wall in the hallway. "OSWALD!" Ortensia shrieked.

The Sweepers moved in for Ortensia and Cecelia, drawing their cans back. Cecelia yanked Ortensia behind her. The Sweepers tossed the thinner. A powder blue hue glazed onto Cecelia's fingertips. She shot a hand out. An aura of a shield spanned out, repelling the thinner. Ortensia gaped in amazement. Gus swooped in and tossed a paint cube at the two.

A cloud of paint exploded then liquefied, soaking the Blotlings through and through. They erected and spun, turning completely blue. They waved happily to Cecelia, Ortensia, and Gus. The three waved back.

"GAAH!" Oswald choked.

"OSWALD!" Ortensia ran out to the hallway. Gus and Cecelia ran after her.

The Slobber had Oswald and Prescott in a vice grip, crushing their bodies in his massive hands. Gus frantically grabbed three paint cubes and launched them. The Cubes may have exploded onto the Slobber, but they didn't affect him like they did the Sweepers. Might as well have poured water onto slick glass.

"Why didn't they work?" Cecelia screamed in dismay.

"Slobbers are tough skinned!" Gus growled, cursing himself. "Painting them is no different than watering a rock." He spat. "We have to get the paint inside." The Slobber sluggishly turned to the three, braying like a mule in laughter. Oswald and Prescott struggled against the iron grip. Their remotes were dropped into ground just behind the Blotling. The Slobber tightened his grip. Prescott and Oswald heaved, wheezing as they felt the air leave their lungs.

"YOU PUT THEM DOWN!" Ortensia demanded. "RIGHT NOW!" She stomped her foot.

The Slobber inhaled and spat three streaming balls of thinner. Cecelia jumped in front and summoned the shield. The thinner slid splashed and fell to the floor, clearing the Toon carpet halfway. "Nice try, Ortensia." Cecelia congratulated. The Slobber inhaled again and again and again. Volleys of thinner soared for Cecelia, Ortensia, and Gus. Cecelia kept the shield up. But slowly it was disintegrating with the vapors of thinner.

Oswald and Prescott were steadily fading from consciousness. The Slobber needed to drop them soon. "CECELIA!" Gus called. "When I say so, drop the shield!"

"WHAT?"

"TRUST ME!" Gus held six cubes in his hand. Cecelia looked back to the widened Slobber and caught on. She nodded, agreeing to his plan. The Slobber spanned his feet. Opening his mouth, he inhaled deeply. "NOW!" Cecelia dropped the shield and grabbed Ortensia, dodging out of the way. Gus launched the cubes, landing them all into the Slobber's mouth. The Slobber closed his mouth, choking. Numerous pops exploded into his stomach. The paint filled his insides, turning the leaky black ooze into blue. The Slobber smiled and placed Prescott and Oswald onto the ground.

Ortensia and Gus ran to the two, helping them to their feet. The Sweepers and Slobber all waved as they made their way down the hallway.

"Are you boys alright?" Ortensia coddled Oswald.

"Yeah…" Oswald groaned dazedly, massaging his head, "Thanks." He smiled weakly. "Gus, Cecelia – Thank you."

"No problem." Cecelia chimed.

"Our pleasure." Gus bowed his head.

"All this just to watch a mirror?" Prescott snarled.

"And it's only eight in the morning." Gus chuckled. Prescott wheezed, falling to the ground. "But despite the minor trouble, that was fairly easy."

"I agree." Cecelia nodded. "Our escape from Space Voyage was trickier than that."

"What do you mean?" Ortensia asked fretfully.

"They were scouts." Oswald answered grimly. "They had to be." He massaged his ears. "If they were meant to stop us, the Blot could have sent much more AND much worse."

"For someone whose strength isn't fully recovered," Cecelia hissed, sitting against the wall, "The Blot sure seems capable of sending lackeys."

"They're most likely the lingering Blotlings." Prescott answered. "They may be few, but there are still some Blotlings left from last year's thinner disaster."

"The one Mickey helped you with." Cecelia concluded. She laughed dismally. "I'm starting to feel like a burden."

"Not in the least." Ortensia beamed. "You were great! Were it not for you, the thinner would have hurt us."

"Ortensia's right." Gus agreed. "You were marvelous." Cecelia blushed bashfully, her ears and tail flickering.

"Now if only the REALLY useful person would arrive." Prescott huffed. "When is that brush going to do its job?"

"How should I know?" Cecelia responded snidely. "Once it enters, I can't track it."

Prescott scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Of course not." Cecelia grabbed his dropped Data Finder and threw it at his head. "YOUCH! WHY YOU-"

"ENOUGH!" Gus roared. Cecelia and Prescott turned their backs to each other. "Cecelia said from the get go the spell was tricky and that we'll have to wait." Gus pressed his nose to Prescott's. "So we'll have to wait!" He snarled.

But Prescott, in his own obnoxious way, had a point. The brush was taking a while. Cecelia could only wonder if the trip was long…or if she performed the spell wrong.

**%%%**

The brush zoomed through a celestial plane. Violet streams swam within the navy hue, whisking by as the brush followed its charted course. Small sparklets twinkled in the abyss, turning into needles that seemed like shooting stars. At the end of the brush's seemingly long flight, a rectangular shaped light shined through the darkness.

**%%%**

It was an early, cloudy February morning. Light grey clouds covered the sky in a thick blanket. The outside air was cold, but warming as time passed. Lying in bed, snuggled comfortably in his bed, Mickey slumbered peacefully, snoring happily.

Over his dresser, the glass in the mirror began to ripple. Steadily appearing from the beyond the glass, the brush emerged from the mirror and hovered over the slumbering mouse. The bright glow shining brightly, Mickey stirred from his sleep.

"WHOA!" He gasped at the brush. Mickey rubbed his eyes, hoping it wasn't the sand in his eyes making him hallucinate. It was no hallucination. The brush was in his bedroom. And it was floating. "How did that get here?" He asked, believing the brush would answer him. Not likely.

"Oh." Mickey noticed the folded paper attached to the brush. As the brush descended into his lap, mickey unwrapped the piece of paper. It was a letter from Ortensia.

_Dear Mickey,_

_There's trouble here in Wasteland again and we could really use your help. The Mad Doctor has revived the Blot, and they're causing trouble. We can explain more when you get here. For now, take the brush in your hand and follow the path to us. Please hurry!_

_Sincerely, Ortensia_

Mickey didn't need further information. His friends were in trouble and needed his help. And judging from what they did to the brush, they needed him now. Mickey threw his blankets off and jumped up on his feet. He grabbed the brush full force. The glow around the brush transferred to Mickey. The brush lifted Mickey into the air and pulled him into the mirror.

**%%%**

Mickey was brought into the celestial plane. The never-ending view before him was awe inspiring. The glow of the brush quickly died down, gently lowering Mickey onto a yellow brick slab.

"Um…" Mickey hummed confusedly. He looked at the note Ortensia wrote to him. "What path?" His voice echoed. Mickey looked on ahead, searching for the path he was supposed to follow. He could see a light in the vast distant. Most likely his exit. But how can he even begin to think about exiting when he can't even get to it.

"Wait…" Mickey knelt to the ground. "What's that?" There was a transparent shadow connected to the yellow slab Mickey stood on. "It's Toon." He recognized. A triumphant smile appeared on Mickey's face. He gripped the brush tightly and aimed at the Toon. Paint streamed from the bristles, splashing onto the Toon shadows and turning them into yellow bricks. "HA-HA!" Mickey cheered. Running onto the newly painted portion of his path, Mickey sprayed the rest of the toon, drawing out his path as he went along. "Hold on, guys! I'M COMIN'."

**%%%**

Oswald and Gus paced back and forth in the parlor. Going left to right and sometime front and back. Prescott, with his hands folded behind his head, hovered close to the ceiling, hiding his apprehension in his sour expression. Ortensia and Cecelia drank some of the herbal tea Ortensia brewed.

Only ten minutes had passed since the brush vanished into the mirror and already the tension was rising high in the room. Should Blotlings decide to attack, everyone might collapse from heart attacks.

"Hm." Prescott poked an eye open. The glass started to ripple. Prescott gaped in shock. _Not possible…_"Look there." All eyes glanced automatically to the mirror.

A pair of gloved hands gripped the sides of the mirror. Ortensia and Cecelia flew from their chairs. Prescott hovered behind them. Oswald and Gus rushed to the mantel, prepared to jump in just to drag the person attached to those hands out. Round ears poked out, a face, and finally the entire body of a familiar mouse in red shorts. Prescott gaped in disbelief.

"MICKEY!" Gus, Ortensia, and Oswald cheered. Cecelia dropped to her knees, releasing a long held breath of relief. "Great ta see ya again, Mickey." Oswald held out a hand.

"Likewise." Mickey shook the hand.

"Hi Mickey!" Ortensia cheered. "Welcome back!"

"Nice to see you again, my boy!" Gus welcomed.

"Thanks guys." Mickey chuckled. Mickey saw Prescott and waved. The bitter gremlin scoffed and sardonically waved. Mickey could only laugh. After all, Prescott wasn't exactly known for his _sunny disposition. _He handed Ortensia the letter. "I got your letter. But, uh," He gawked at the brush in confusion, "How'd you get it to float?"

"Our new friend helped." Ortensia brought Cecelia forward. "Mickey, meet Cecelia. Cecelia this is Mickey Mouse."

"Nice to meet you." Cecelia beamed.

"Same here." Mickey flinched back when Cecelia leaned in suddenly.

"So you're the mouse who snuck into my Grandfather's workshop." She remarked, finally seeing the result to the mystery.

"Grandfather?" Mickey retorted perplexedly. "Wait! You mean the man with the beard and hat?"

"That's him."

"Gosh. Does that mean you have magic too?"

"Yep." Cecelia circled a finger, conjuring a smile powder blue sparkled stream.

"Amazing."

"AHEM!" Prescott exaggeratedly cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt this _lovely meet, greet, and reacquaint _banter," He heaved, the sarcasm dripping from his tone, "But I seem to recall we have other matters to deal with!"

"Prescott's right." Oswald agreed. "There's trouble in Wasteland."

"So I heard." Mickey confirmed.

"It's because of that Doctor guy and the Blot, right?" Cecelia guessed.

"Right." Gus confirmed.

"You said the Mad Doctor revived the Blot." Mickey said to Ortensia.

"Uh-Huh." She nodded somberly. "You see…"

**%%%**

**Flashback**

**(**Ortensia POV**)- **_Some time after you left, we started to rebuild and repaint Wasteland. Repairs were going great with everyone helping. Even the Pete's were helping._

"_Wait? The Pete's?_" Cecelia questioned in dread. "_You mean there's more than one?_"

"_Yes._" Gus answered educationally. "_There's Petetronic – whom you've met. Then we have Small Pete, Pete Pan, and Big Bad Pete. All of whom aren't evil to a Tee, but still like the cause trouble._"

"_Could have fooled me._"

_Ahem! As I was saying, we had most of Wasteland fixed after the thinner disaster. All that was left was the Lonesome Manor and the Mad Doctor's old lab._

**(**Gus POV**) – **_Oswald, Prescott, and I decided it would be good if we could salvage some of the Mad Doctor's old equipment. Since he had disappeared after we defeated him in the manner last time, most of his things lied around, taking up space in the manor. Ian and Gilbert were becoming aggravated. And believe me, aggravating a ghost is the last thing you wish to do._

_So as we neared the attic, we gathered some lying about metal, cleaning up and tossing it into the thinner if we don't need it. Gabriel and Sam were awfully happy to see their projects evaporate into nothingness. Gilbert and Ian kept scolding them about leaving their projects lying around._

**(**Prescott POV**) – **_Though is technology was barbaric at best, some of it would be useful in upgrading tools, fixing the local shops, and helpful with my inventions in the gag factory. _

"_So you are capable of doing something other than complaining._" Cecelia sniggered.

_CHATTER OFF! I'M TELLING A STORY! _Cecelia giggled impishly. _AS…I…WAS…SAYING…we managed to salvage a few things from the front lab. Some of the thinner I managed to drain away revealed scrap metaled Beetleworx. Gus found pumps that could be used to remove most of the thinner lying about. As for Oswald…he was distracted._

**(**Oswald POV**) – **_I was distracted by something coming from beyond the vault door. It was open partially. A series of bright flashes coupled with what sounded like a drill on metal came from around it. Gilbert told me that he and the others could hear sounds coming from the attic. As if someone was working on something. They didn't investigate it, though. To them it was a good addition to the spooky air of the manor._

_ I went over to the door, wanting to know if someone really was up there. A gremlin, the Haberdasher maybe, possibly even Adelle. She likes pictures. But when I peeked through, it wasn't anyone from town. It was the Doc. He had something on a metal table. Something that required a lot of electricity._

_I should have gotten out of there. Or got Gus and Prescott to come in with me. But I had to know why the Doc was up there. So I snuck in, hiding behind the super computers he had against the wall near the door. When I peeked around, I was horrified to see the body of the blot lying on the table. The Doc was recreating the Blot with the remaining Blotlings lurking around. I noticed the Blot was slowly slipping apart. Like he couldn't keep himself together. Wasn't surprising. He wasn't exactly…alive. Maybe the Doc made a replica. _

_The Doc had a green orb in his hand. It pulsated oddly. Made my fur crawl. The Doc put the orb into the Blot creation and in a matter of minutes it rose. Like a regular Frankenstein._

**Flashback end**

Cecelia and Mickey gaped in horrified awe. Mickey was more terrified than her. After all, he and Oswald nearly died trying to stop the Blot. They were eaten and soared out in a flurry of fireworks. The thought of having to do it once more made his stomach curl. But he had to do it.

"The problems don't stop there, I'm afraid." Prescott announced grimly. "Because the Blot has been alive for only a short time, his strength to resist paint and thinner has yet to return." Confirming the injury theory. The Blot used to have legs. But because of the incident with Cecelia, his legs dissipated into nothing more than a tail. "So the mad doctor needed a way to give him strength. And because his main power was fear and terror, the Mad Doctor created a device to turn that into energy."

Gus glanced to Cecelia sadly. "Cecelia experienced the secondary issue created by the Doctor." Cecelia pointed to herself in bewilderment. "The welts on your temples," Cecelia touched the sore welts, "They came from a device called the Terror Box. It generates a person's worst nightmares, their most horrific fears." Cecelia's eyes widened, returning to the images she saw when those suction cups touched her head. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Mickey touched a comforting hand to her shoulder. "The Doctor has tried and failed that that machine. Testing it out on any and all Toons. You were possibly his tenth guinea pig."

"Tried and failed that many times?" Cecelia asked, resenting being someone's lab rat. "Good thing I broke it."

"You broke it?" Oswald questioned.

"I had a power surge and fried something. I'm guessing the box you mentioned."

"Then he most likely has a backup." Prescott stated, raining on her parade. Cecelia arched a perplexed brow. "Rule number one of science: Always have a backup."

Oswald plowed a fist into his open palm. "Then we should get that backup before he uses it." He declared. "We should check the Lonesome Manor." He suggested. "Mickey, Cecelia, can we count on you to help?"

"You bet!" Mickey cheered.

"You want my help?" Cecelia asked suspiciously. Prescott arched an irritated brow.

"If you don't mind." Oswald encouraged. "I know we've only just met, but your magic could really come in handy."

"It already has three times." Gus reminded her.

"I don't know." Cecelia shied away. "I'm only a novice."

"Novice with skill."

"Why would she help us?" Prescott spat. "This place isn't her home! Why should she help us, is the correct question."

Cecelia suddenly felt a certain obligation to lend her aid. At the same time, she was insulted that Prescott thought so low of her. "Because unlike you, SUNSHINE, I'm not so shallow!"

"SUNSHINE?" Prescott boomed. Mickey glanced to Oswald, wondering what was up. Oswald shook his head, urging Mickey to leave it alone. Prescott moved in challenging to Cecelia. "WATCH YOUR TONE, WITCH!"

Cecelia touched her forehead to his. "OR WHAT, NERD?" Lighting surged between their eyes.

"Cecelia, Prescott," Gus's voice sang. The glaring two turned their attention to Gus, then cried out in fright, hugging each other. Gus bounced a baseball bat in his hand. "I believe you both agreed to a truce only 15 minutes ago." His voice rumbled, making Cecelia and Prescott back into the wall. "Now I suggest you bear that in mind, or I will ensure the Lonesome Manor will receive two permanent residents."

"OKAY! OKAY!" Prescott waved his hands pleadingly.

"WE'LL BEHAVE!" Cecelia waved her hands as well.

Both raised their right hands and placed the other on their chest. "WE PROMISE!" They both blurted.

"Very good." Gus placed the bat against the wall. "Shall we head to the projector in the West Courtyard?"

"Projector?" Cecelia hummed.

"Our main method of travel and transport."

"How many courtyards are there?" Mickey asked. Last time he was here, he didn't get a chance to browse the castle.

"Just the West and East courtyards. West is the one you and I used to escape the castle. The East has the train station."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ortensia opened the parlor door. "Let's head out before more scouts come."

"More?" Mickey questioned.

"We had a little trouble before you got here." Cecelia hummed, her face flushed as she meandered past him. Mickey shrugged his shoulders, believing it.

Oswald, Mickey, and Cecelia poked their heads out the door, scanning the hallway for any unwanted company. The three erected their thumbs, giving the okay. The six ventured into the hall, keeping their eyes peeled in case more Blotlings decided to attack.

"By the way Cecelia," Mickey prodded her ears, "Have you always looked like this?"

"No." Cecelia pouted, pulling at the ears. "In fact I'm human," She motioned her hand, measuring herself to Mickey, "And possibly a few inches taller than you." Right now she was shorter than Mickey. The same height as Oswald if you don't include the ears. "I'm not sure how I got like this."

"Probably just the Toon effect." Gus explained.

"An improvement to be sure." Prescott snickered. Lightning struck his butt. "OW! GRR!" Cecelia huffed to the wall, not giving Prescott the satisfaction of her attention. "Brat." He rumbled.

"Prude."

"TRUCE!" Gus roared. Prescott and Cecelia huffed.

Mickey, Ortensia, and Oswald laughed at the two. "So how do we get to the West Courtyard from here?" Mickey asked.

"Let's see…" Oswald hummed pensively. "We go through that Main Entrance area where you and I first met." Gus explained.

The same place where Mickey nearly had his heart plunged out, and was attacked by the giant Swiss army knife eye. "EGH!" Mickey shivered. "That's a scary memory." He giggled shakily. He stroked his chest, "I can still feel the plunger."

Cecelia tilted her head. "Plunger?"

"Oh! Right!" Oswald gasped. "We never explained." He chuckled. "You see, because the Toons in Wasteland are forgotten, we don't have hearts." He pointed to the sky, "If we did, we would be at liberty to leave Wasteland whenever we wanted." Oswald pointed to Mickey. "The Mad Doc tried to take Mickey's heart. Whether it was for himself or the Blot – we didn't know. But then the Blot got it, and was almost strong enough to leave."

"But Mickey got it back and was able to leave?" Cecelia guessed.

"Right."

"So…" Cecelia touched her chest, "Does that mean I can go home whenever I want?"

"Yeah." Oswald answered. "In fact, after we're done at the Lonesome Manor, we can send you flying home in a rocket if you like."

"REALLY?" Cecelia beamed. Prescott, not looking at Cecelia, furrowed his brow hatefully. Cecelia folded her hands behind her back. "In that case," She giggled, "I'll stay here until the Blot is finished and done with!" Prescott's eyes widened in abject shock.

"You will?" Ortensia gasped, surprised by her answer. "But…this isn't your fight. And your grandfather is probably worried."

Cecelia curled her fingers into a determined fist. "That Blot thing dragged me down here all the while hurting my grandfather!" She hissed. "Not to mention that wannabe scientist used that stupid box on me! They made this my battle and I'll see it through to the end!" Prescott, Mickey, and the others were moved by her speech. Prescott found himself in awe of the young girl's determination. "Besides," Cecelia unclipped her spell book from her hip, "If grandpa didn't expect me to fight, he never would have sent the brush or my book."

"Then it's settled!" Gus decided. Gus hovered in front of Cecelia, "Cecelia is now an honorary member of team Wasteland." He shook her hand. "Welcome aboard."

Cecelia blushed. "Thanks." Ortensia giggled and clapped her hands. Oswald bobbed his head, approving. Mickey patted Cecelia on the back. Prescott simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. But…a small…half smile cracked on lips.

**%%%**

The Main Entrance was more open than Cecelia thought, or Mickey remembered. The old crumbling, upper walk ways was fixed, cleaned up. The wood displaced there once was removed. The Mad Doctor's equipment was gone. The lower portion had a long rug going from the double doors to up the first stairs. It was nice.

"This way." Gus guided them up the left stairway. Mickey and Cecelia lingered behind the group, ogling in awe. It was a nice place. And with the early morning clouds hovering overhead, it gave the main entrance a certain ambiance.

"This is amazing." Cecelia breathed.

"This is nothing." Ortensia giggled. "You should see the rest of the castle." Unbeknownst to the six, the head of skeleton fazed through the floor, glaring with yellow eyes.

"Too bad we don't have time for a tour." Gus sighed. "You two would love the views we have."

_FWAH! FWAH! _Two ghoulish blotlings soared from the floor at the top of the stairs. The upper bodies of the Blotlings were skeleton in shape. The spinal cord was connected to a tattered, oozing cloak. The six stopped in the tracks, planning on turning back and running. Two more the ghostly blotlings appeared from the floor behind them.

"WHAT ARE THESE?" Mickey screamed.

"Ghouls!" Gus howled. "They were pieced from the Shadow Blot!"

"But I defeated the Shadow Blot!"

"Apparently not!" Cecelia screamed. The Ghouls drew their hands back, summoning large balls of thinner in between their palms.

"RUN!" Gus blurted. The Ghouls launched barrels of thinner for the six. Oswald grabbed Ortensia, Gus mickey, and Prescott Cecelia. The thinner struck the stairs, dissolving them. Prescott and Cecelia went to the bottom floor near the double doors, getting cornered by two of the Ghouls. Gus and Mickey returned to the door they entered in from, finding themselves facing off against one of the Ghouls. Oswald and Ortensia were on the top floor, found by the final Ghoul.

"HOW ARE THEY GETTING IN HERE?" Prescott roared.

"This isn't common?" Cecelia asked shockingly.

"Not lately!"

The Ghoul swung and swiped his boney hands, missing Mickey and Gus by an inch. The Ghoul tossed thinner at the floor where Mickey landed, tripping him up. Gus jumped in, and smashed his fluttering feet into the Ghoul's face. The Ghoul swatted Gus into Mickey. The two slid, hitting their heads against the door. The Ghoul laughed manically, approaching menacingly slow. Gus and Mickey backed away, pressing their backs against the door. The Ghoul sent volleys of thinner balls darting for the mouse and gremlin. Mickey and Gus leapt in opposite directions. The thinner burned the door away. Mickey winced, finding that too close for comfort.

The Ghoul approached Gus, arms spread with boney fingers wriggling. It hissed thinner gas. The yellow in its mouth and eyes dripping with malice. Mickey jumped to his feet and aimed his brush, spraying the Blot with thinner. The Ghoul didn't melt or dissipate like other Blotlings. The Thinner just washed off of it. The Ghoul floated closer and closer to Gus, nearly having its boney, thinner soaked fingers upon him.

Panicking Mickey sprayed the Ghoul with paint. Normally paint befriends a Blotling. The results were anything but friendly for the Ghoul. The Ghoul screeched in pain, melting into the floor. Mickey and Gus were taken aback by the outcome. Gus sighed with relief, mentally thanking Mickey. "Have I mentioned yet how happy I am to have you back?"

"Once or twice."

Cecelia and Prescott staggered back, spreading so to separate the Ghouls. Prescott charged his Data Assistant, Cecelia summoned magic around her fist. The Ghouls launched a barrel of thinner. Cecelia dodged out of the way. Prescott flew into the air. The Ghouls relentlessly fired thinner, piecing the floor away, revealing the thinner under the stone flooring. Prescott and Cecelia ducked and dodged, eventually being cornered at the double doors.

The Ghouls hovered over them and cast powerful barrels of thinner. Cecelia threw up another shield. The barrels blew into the shield so hard, Cecelia's feet dragged. Prescott swooped around the shield and sent a stream of electricity at them. The Ghouls wailed, their bodies' spazzing. Cecelia dropped the shield. "_Flurry of Flames,_" Holding two fingers perpendicular to her lips, she inhaled. Flickers of fire swirled in her mouth, "_KAZAM!_" She blew hard. Fire in a raging stream spanned into a curling wall, engulfing the two Ghouls. Prescott shielded his eye from the heat, watching the two Ghouls turn into ashy vapor. The flames raging from Cecelia's mouth soon died down, leaving light char marks on the stone.

"Impressive." Prescott remarked.

"A compliment?" Cecelia teased. "I'll take it."

"For an amateur." He added slyly.

"UGH!" Cecelia slumped. "Almost." Prescott chuckled.

Oswald kept Ortensia behind him, backing off as the Ghoul launched ball after ball of thinner. Oswald cradled Ortensia in his arms and took flight. The Ghoul flew up after him and swiped a hand at his ears, disrupting his flight. Oswald and Ortensia fell for the ground. Oswald put himself under Ortensia, breaking her fall. The Ghoul towered over them, summoning thinner to its palms. Oswald grabbed Ortensia again and hopped out of the line of fire.

The Ghoul, after piecing so much of the upper walkway away, trapped them in a corner. Ortensia trembled behind her rabbit. Oswald kept his arms spread, protecting her. A small drop of Thinner splashed, missing Ortensia's foot by an inch. Oswald pushed her back, keeping her out of the line of fire. As the Ghoul prepared to toss more thinner, Oswald drew his remote and electrocuted the Blotling. Oswald jumped and unleashed a kick to the Ghoul's face, batting it into the ground. He electrocuted it once again, but it wouldn't dissipate.

Oswald took out a paint cube Gus handed to him and tossed it. The Ghoul was covered in paint. But instead of becoming friendly, the Ghoul melted like butter. Ortensia and Oswald let out breaths of relief. But their respite would be short lived.

"COME ON YOU TWO!" Prescott urged. He, Gus, Cecelia, and Mickey were standing at the West Doorway. "MORE ARE COMING!" Gus pointed to the wall. Oswald and Ortensia looked to the top of the wall. More Ghouls slithered their way over. "HURRY!" Oswald and Ortensia ran as fast as they could. Gus and Prescott closed the doors behind them, baring off the Ghouls from entering. Gus and Prescott threw numerous paint cubes at the door, covering it in paint. Prescott and Gus flew after the running four, hearing the Ghouls collide with the door. The paint acted as a barrier, preventing them from fazing through. But it will only last while the paint is on the door. Enough thinner and it'll fall off.

"WHY DIDN'T THE THINNER WORK?" Mickey blared.

"THE GHOULS EAT THINNER!" Gus answered. "Sorry! Forgot to mention that!"

"AGAIN WITH YOUR FORGETTING!" Prescott scolded him. "DO YOU NEED A DOCTOR?" Gus didn't respond. Mainly because he thought Prescott might be right.

"SO IT'S SAFE TO SAY THE BLOT KNOWS YOU'RE HERE!" Ortensia wailed to Mickey as they sped down the stairs. "AND HE'S NOT HAPPY!"

"WOULD YOU BE IF THE CAUSE OF YOUR DESTRUCTION RETURNED?" Cecelia howled.

"Do you think the doc knows?" Oswald panted.

"Most likely he suspects it!" Gus agreed. "We need to get out of the castle!" He stated first and foremost. "The Blotlings are trying to corner us here!"

"How are they getting in?" Prescott asked heatedly. "They can't just simply float in."

"Wait!" Cecelia came to an abrupt halt. Prescott and Gus bumped into her. Mickey, Ortensia, and Oswald stopped. Cecelia faced Gus. "You said the Projectors are the main use of travel and transportation."

"Besides the trains, they are-" Gus cut himself off, understanding where she was going with her statement. All eyes fell onto the door leading into the Courtyard. "THEY COULDN'T BE!" The six darted for the door. Cecelia and Ortensia stayed in back as the boys pushed the door open. They all ran in, seeing the projector beyond the catapult. The gate to that doorway was closed shut, screaming _Do not enter._

Sliding along opposite walls, the six crept forward. Oswald and Mickey, ahead of the group, peered around the courtyard. Seers and Spatters scoured the courtyard. Managing to glance past the catapult, the two were able to make out an orange and yellow stripped bubble dome around the Projector. Oswald glanced across to Prescott, signing with his hands for the gremlin to check the dome.

Prescott held out his Data Assistant, getting a read off the frequency of the dome. Cecelia glanced over, intrigued by the beeping and zigzagging lines on the Data Assistant. "That dome is meant to disrupt the projector." He informed his friends in a whisper. "No one can get in or out."

"Then how are the Blotlings getting in?" Cecelia asked. "The Slobber especially."

"Through those." Prescott pointed to pipes hanging over the courtyard. "Sweepers, Seers, and Spatters come from them." He explained. "The Ghouls flew in. The Slobber…could have pounded its way in from anywhere."

"We have to get the gate open." Oswald instructed. "Ortensia and I will twist the gears to get the gate open." Ortensia nodded. "Gus and Prescott, get those valves turned off." Gus saluted. Prescott waved a hand. "Cecelia and Mickey, keep the Blotlings busy." The two nodded. "GO!"

Gus and Prescott soared high into the air, obscuring themselves from the sights of the Blotlings. Ortensia and Oswald split off to opposite walk paths, darting for the gears that controlled the winch to the gate. The Seers spotted them, alerting the Spatters. When the novice grade blotlings dashed for them, thinner and fire stopped them in their tracks. Mickey and Cecelia glared them down.

The valves on the pipes started to turn, drawing on more Blotlings to come and battle. Gus and Prescott went at the pipes with their wrenches. Disrupting the flow and closing it off. The Blots that tried to come turned into simple ink drops, and splashed on the ground.

Cecelia and Mickey smiled and lunged into the fray, thinning and burning the Blotlings. They came and attacked as fast as they could. Mickey and Cecelia were too fast. With one watching the other's back they fended the Blotlings off.

Ortensia and Oswald sprinted as fast as they could to the gears. The battle below was low and hectic, prompting them to run faster. Coming to the gears, Oswald and Ortensia panted heavily, needing to regain their strength before turning the heavy wheels. The moment Mickey and Cecelia destroyed the final Blotling, Ortensia and Oswald turned the wheels.

The gears in the winch grinded ear piercingly loud, making the four below cringe and cover their ears. The gate fully opened, locking in place. Prescott zoomed to the Projector, vanquishing the dome around the projector. Oswald soared to the group with Ortensia in hand. Prescott eagerly began calibrating the Projector's directionality with his Data Assistant. The screen on the projector flickered and flashed a picture of Mickey. Prescott chuckled, praising himself. "So we do not have to endure going through a number of Projectors, I have calibrated the Projector to take us straight to Mean Street."

"Impressive." Cecelia chimed. "For a grouch."

"Ugh." He dropped his head. "Almost." For the first time since they met, Prescott and Cecelia chuckled lightly.

"Shall we proceed?" Gus suggested.

"Won't the Blots just follow us?" Ortensia worried. "They've gotten into Mean Street before?"

"If we stay they'll try picking us off again." Cecelia stated.

"Besides," Gus interjected, "The Blotlings haven't come to Mean Street or Ostown since the Thinner Disaster." His expression saddened. "But I cannot halt my fear of them coming after us."

"Regardless, we have to go." Oswald pressed. "Who else can stop the Doc before he hurts someone else?"

Ortensia and Gus immediately looked to Cecelia, still able to make out the red marks on her temple. They sighed somberly. "Okay." Ortensia agreed reluctantly. Oswald kissed her on the forehead, cheering her up slightly.

"So…" Cecelia trailed off, prodding the projector screen, "How does this work?"

"Like this." Ortensia grabbed her hand and jumped. Cecelia screamed as she was pulled through the screen. Mickey and Oswald couldn't help laughing. Finding the reaction funny. The other four jumped in after the girls, on their way to Mean Street.

**%%%**

The Mad Doctor tapped his foot pensively to the ground, muttering grouchily under his breath. The Blot, with a Seer on his shoulder, listened humorously to the Mad Doctor's mumbles. "So they did get that mouse here." The Mad Doctor rumbled. "And what's more," He glared to the Blot, "That little girl spit fire at them. Defeating your most elite of Blotlings. The Ghouls."

"I warned you of her." The Blot remarked snidely. "What I saw suggests that girl is as dangerous as the Mouse. Maybe even more so."

"And now they are no doubt on their way here to my lab." The Mad Doctor paced disconcertedly. "I may be able to repel the brush." He stroked his chin roughly. "But magic? The most magical thing we have in Wasteland are the Tints and Turps." The Guardians of Wasteland. "Pure Magic is not on my list of battle ready plans."

"Then perhaps you should draw some up." The Blot suggested snidely. "In the meantime," The Blot slithered for the Projector gateway, "I shall divert their attention from the Manor."

"And how do you intend to do that?" The Mad Doctor challenged.

"We left Petetronic in Tomorrow City." The Blot reminded the Doctor. "Let us see if he cannot redeem himself."

**To be continued. I'll be gone for a while. I have another fic that needs my attention. I will be back. Promise.**


	5. Gears Loose

**Gears Loose**

_**Hey Peeps. Sorry for being gone for so long. I had stuff to work on. I'm moving. Any who's, let's pick up where I left off. **_

_**Where was that? . . .OH YEAH! Blot…Pete…Tour of Wasteland**_

_**LET'S CONTINUE!**_

**(^U^)**

"I cannot buh-lieve thuh damage Petetronic caused!" A maroon suited, yellow capped gremlin fumed, flittering into the Notilus sink yard. "Jus' look at this!" He frothed at the dismantled Notilus. The rotary propeller was yanked from its place, gears were missing from the inner mechanisms, and the engine block was gone. "Ya know it took me weeks tah upgrade this hunk o' metal!" He fumed to the two other gremlins standing beside him. "AND PETETRONIC JUS' TEARS IT O'SUNDER LIKE ITS TISSUE PAPER!"

"Calm yourself, Sparks." A French accented gremlin placed his hands to Sparks' shoulders. "We will fix it again, Mon Ami. Only this time we will use that indestructible scrap metal we have in storage."

"That metal is low in stock, Jamface." Sparks warned his mechanically astute partner. "Possibly…" He calculated quickly in his head, "300 scraps. Three quarters of that needs to go to…" He reviewed a list of inventory and projects he kept, "The windmill, the shops, and to Gus and Prescott so they can fix up some things in Ostown. We will have to plot this carefully before beginning reconstruction."

The last gremlin drew out a blueprint for the Notilus. He studied the inner mechanisms and jotted down notes of the more special parts. The parts which, if strengthened, would prevent the Notilus from being sabotaged. "We shuid use th' metal oan only th' mair intricate bits o' th' sub." He decreed in his Scottish accent. "If we fin' th' rotary propeller, motor, 'n' engine, we kin uise th' metal oan them."

"Sounds like a plan, Markus." Jamface praised his cousin with a pat to his shoulder. "Alright…" Jamface hovered into the air, scanning the area. "The engine is up there." He pointed to the large semi-spherical tiled stone formation with the platforms protruding from their places. "Why don't you look for the-" A ball of thinner exploded onto his back. "GAH!" Jamface screamed in pain, falling to the ground.

"JAMFACE!" Sparks and Markus cried out. They whipped around to see where the ball came from. Balls of thinner exploded in their faces, blowing the two Gremlins to the ground. Their bodies melted away a small ways, rendering them unconscious.

Malicious chuckles growing into loud, boisterous cackles erupted in the sink yard. The hefty body of Petetronic trudged bouncingly to the fallen gremlins. His hands were on his hips as his enormous gut bounced with his laughter. Petetronic set three large mason jars on the ground, then pinched one of the horns on Markus's head. "Dis is gonna be fun."

**(^U^)**

Leading Cecelia by the hand, Ortensia was the first to emerge from the projector near Mean Street Station. Cecelia stumbled to her knees, finding herself a little disoriented from leaping through a Mary-Poppins based picture. Not to mention she was still a little exhausted from the ordeal they faced moments ago. The hoard of Blotlings invading Dark Beauty Castle, the shock she took to her head. It was equal to the boot camp Yensid put her through for making his breakfast utensils dance

Gus, Prescott, Oswald, and Mickey leapt out of the projector soon after them. Mickey and Ortensia helped Cecelia to her feet. She massaged her whirling head, shaking her body right to the tip of her black cat tail. When she gazed out ahead, her crimson eyes widened in awe. "WOW!" She marveled in amazement. A bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds glided over the lively town. People in the form of cows, dogs, and horses, sauntered on with their daily lives. Shops ranging from a haberdasher to an ice cream parlor, blue sky and cloud painted wooden walls surrounding around the town. "It's like an amusement park." She beamed, her tail wagging.

"It was actually modeled after the original park." Gus elucidated proudly. "With Oswald's designs," He draped his arm around the gloomy Prescott, "And the mechanical know-how of us Gremlins," Gus cast his hand over their utopia of a home, "A land was created where forgotten toons can live peaceful and happy lives."

"This place looks better than the last time I was here." Mickey marveled. "Everything's fixed up, repaired, and looking fresh and new." He glanced up to the sky, relishing in the sunlight. "Even the sky looks refreshed."

"Much has changed since you were last here Mickey." Oswald announced, placing a hand to Mickey's shoulder. "We're rebuilding our lives. And The Blot and Mad Doc aren't going to ruin it."

"It really shows." Cecelia beamed, clapping her hands together. "I may not have been here before, but it's obvious you guys have been putting your heart into it." She marveled at the sheen of the town. The happiness of the people and reconstructed town glistened. "This place is amazing!" She smiled to the town before her, loving the happy-go-lucky atmosphere. "And it looks like fun."

"_YES!_" Prescott scoffed loudly. "Being forgotten is _oodles _of fun." He hissed with a wriggle of his fingers.

Cecelia sneered her nose. "I meant the park, glitch for brains!" She bit her lip in an attempt to not lash out. "I'm surprised ANYONE could forget a sour old goat like you!" She failed miserably. Gus slapped a palm to his face. They couldn't last another five minutes. "OW!"

Prescott had her by the ear. "WATCH YOUR TONE, KITTEN!" Cecelia grabbed his horn and yanked. "YOW!"

"OR WHAT, POPS?!" Prescott tripped her feet from under her, tackling her to the ground. "GET OFF ME, NERD!" She kicked him, flipping on top and grabbing him by the horns. "I'll rip your horns right from your head!"

"GO AHEAD AND TRY, WITCH!" Prescott shoved a hand into her face, pushing forward and bringing her to the ground. He yanked on her ears. "I'LL RIP THESE EARS RIGHT OFF!"

Mickey, Ortensia, and Oswald watched in shock and awe. Classical furious cat and rabid dog noises echoed from the combative cartoon cloud. "Well that escalated quickly." Oswald remarked.

Gus slapped a hand to her irked face. He checked his little pocket watch. "At least they made it past the five minute mark." He found the bright side to a small accomplishment. "Five and a half minutes have passed since their last altercation."

Cecelia smashed Prescott's head into the ground over and over again. "OW! OW! OW!" He wailed with each impact. Cecelia bit down on the top of his head, snarling like a rabid lion. "AH-HA-OW!"

"Ooh…" Mickey cringed.

Prescott quickly turned the tables and sat himself on her lower back. He yanked her tail with sharp force. "YEOW!" She spasmed. "YEOW! OW! HEY! OW!" Prescott then took the tail and bit down. Tears came to the corners Cecelia's eyes. "MEEEEOOOOOWWWWW!"

"AH!" Ortensia shrieked, hands to her cheeks. Oswald covered her eyes.

"YOU STUPID-" Cecelia flipped herself around, rolling onto Prescott. The Gremlin countered and rolled onto her. The two wrestled and rolled violently, tumbling down the brick constructed ramp into the streets of Mean Street. Propping themselves up on the ledge of the wall, Gus, Ortensia, Oswald, and Mickey watched as the two bounced along the street. Prescott and Cecelia attracted attention. Adelle and Seth snapped a few photos. Other people scratched their heads, wondering what was wrong.

"WATCH OUT!" Mickey cried out. But it was too late.

Prescott and Cecelia, so engrossed in their brawl, ran full force into the large gut of someone wearing blue overalls. Their faces were smushed like pancakes. Mickey and the others cringed, moaning as they felt the impact. Prescott and Cecelia crumbled to the ground, groaning dazedly. "Well, well, well," An obnoxiously gravelly, rumbling voice thundered, "What do we got here?" Large hands grabbed Cecelia and Prescott by the backs of their collars, hoisting them into the air. Mickey and the others ran to the street, sprinting for Prescott and Cecelia. "Genius Gremlin Prescott wrastl'n with…a wittle kitten cat." The person cooed.

"Ugh…" Cecelia groaned. Her head wobbled with orbiting bubbles. She shook her head, erasing the bubbles. "HUH!" Cecelia gawked in horror of the person holding her and Prescott. It was a huge…dog looking cat with a dorky brown hat on his head. His face was scraggly. "The powers that be…" Cecelia gasped in utter disgust.

"HEY ORTENSIA!" The cat called as Ortensia and the boys skid to a halt. The cat held Cecelia out, "Dis girl here a relative of yers?"

"No, Big Bad Pete!" She waved her hands feverishly. "She's a friend!" She brought Mickey forward, "She came here with Mickey!" Mickey waved nervously with a weak smile.

"Well, well," B.B. Pete leaned forward with a menacing grin, "If it ain't Mickey da Mouse!" He announced with adulated disdain. "You bring'n house pets to our fair place o' residence now?"

"HOUSE PET?" Cecelia blurted, electricity surging between her ears. B.B. Pete didn't notice.

"Ohh dear!" Prescott trembled, cowering under his head.

Cecelia thrashed in his hold, trying to kick and punch him. Only air. "WHO YOU CALL'N A HOUSE PET, YOU PEG LEGGED SACK OF LARD?"

"WHAT?" Pete dropped Prescott on his butt. Gus grabbed him and pulled him to safety. Pete smashed his nose into hers. "Who do you think yer insult'n, runt?" He growled. He pointed a thumb proudly to himself, "Don'tcha realize I'm da muscle of dis here world?" He prodded her chest, "I should turn you into a pretzel for dis A-FORN-TATION!"

"IT'S PRONOUNCED AFFRONT, STUPID!" She kicked him in the nose. It honked.

"YOW!" Pete held his nose.

"NOW PUT ME DOWN!" She jabbed a finger for the ground.

"RIGHT THROUGH DA FLOOR!"

"BIG BAD!" Ortensia raised her hands to him. "STOP!" She jumped up and down. "Cecelia's here to help us!" She stated. B.B. Pete brought his confused attention to her. "She came with Mickey to help us with our troubles!"

B.B. Pete thought about it for a moment. He looked from Cecelia to Mickey and back to Cecelia again. "PAH-HA-HA!" He cackled vocally. Saliva sprinkled onto Cecelia's face. "DIS LITTLE RUNT HERE?" He swung Cecelia derisively, pointing at her. "What she gonna do? _Kick da Doc in da knee caps_?" Cecelia growled irately. "HA! OR-OR," A fire lit under B.B. Pete's butt, "Or cry until da Blot melts under her liters of tears?" A thin stream of smoke rose from his hind quarters. Mickey, Prescott and the others gawked and gritted their teeth. "Yeah! _REAL HELP! _HA-HA-HA!" Cecelia furrowed her brow. The fire spanned. The stream grew into a chimney stack of smoke. "WHOO!" B.B. Pete panted, regaining his breath.

"Huh?" He sniffed the air. "You guys smell someth'n cook'n?" Fingers pointed to him. Cecelia smiled and pointed to behind him. Big Bad twisted around. Embers were eating away at his overalls, burning his butt. "YYYYOOOOWWW!" Big Bad roared, tossing Cecelia into the air. "OW BUTT!" He scrambled about, patting his enflamed butt. "OW BUTT! OWIE-OWIE BUTT!" Prescott listlessly held his arms out to the side. Cecelia fell into arms casually. The two admired her handiwork with dark smirks. "MAKE WAY!" Pete stampeded in circles around the square. "COM'N THROUGH!" A cloud of smoke trailed behind him. "BUTT ON FIRE!" Fire engine sirens sounded in the air. The little bunny children hopped along with a pale of water on their backs. Big Bad leapt in the air. The bunny children dropped the pale and scattered. Big Bad's butt landing directly into the pale. Steam hissed from under him. "Ahh…" He sighed with relief.

Oswald and Mickey fall back to back, laughing so hard they could barely stand. Ortensia and Gus held their stomachs and mouths, trying to stifle their laughter at Pete's expense.

"My, my," Prescott chortled, "How the tables have turned." He and Cecelia smirked victoriously with their hands on their hips. "Looks like Big Bad finally felt the heat of karma." He boasted. "Nice work." He congratulated.

Cecelia curtsied, "Thank you."

"YOU THINK YER SOOO SMART! DONTCHA?" Big Bad warned, waddling with the bucket stuck to his behind. "DON'T GO PATT'N YERSELVES ON DA BACK!" He roared. Prescott and Cecelia tensed their bodies, preparing for Big Bad to lash out. "LEAST OF ALL YOU," He jabbed his finger into Prescott' nose, "PRESCOTT!"

"PUH!" He shoved the finger away. "Why on Wasteland should I not be happy?" He questioned defiantly. "You all complain that I'm grumpy! Now that I'm happy, you want me to pick another dwarf!" Cecelia sputtered, lurching forward as she giggled. Prescott took pride in her finding him funny.

"You know does dare projectors yer SO proud of?"

"Yes…?" Prescott hummed cautiously. Cecelia arched a brow.

"Well dey ain't work'n!" Big Bad boasted snidely with a chuckle. "Dey flat BUSTED!"

"WHAT?" Prescott spontaneously vanished into thin air, startling Cecelia and Ortensia.

"PAH-HA-HA!" Big Bad cackled loudly, waddling to the city hall.

"Where'd he go?" Cecelia asked ignoring Pete's loud laughter.

"Projector Square! Over by the Walt statue!" Gus pointed down the street. Cecelia saw a dark dot ricocheting around a statue. "COME ON!"

**(^U^)**

Isolating himself into the lab in the vault, The Mad Doctor cackled darkly as he prodded the forehead of a ghoul blot with an electric welding pen. (_**Never knew what that tool was called**_) "Ooh-hoo-hoo!" He continued to cackle to himself from under his welding mask. "Perfect! Absolutely Perfect!" He grabbed one of the chips he had sitting in a pan beside the ghoul. "This will be delicious." He squealed, placing the chip to the Ghoul's forehead.

"As it should be." The Mad Doctor halted his experiment. He flipped up his welding mask, being greeted by the legless Blot. He had yet to regain his legs after a mishap with Cecelia. "Petetronic has made his move." He reported. "They should be stalled for a considerable amount of time."

"Good!" The Mad Doctor removed the mask from his head, placing it on the floor. "Just enough time to test my new toys." He caressed a finger on the chip in the forehead of the Ghoul. The Ghoul Blot opened its bright eyes, screeching in exhaustion. "I do not need those rodents or their little feline pet messing up my plans!" He pushed the ghoul from the table, sending it on its way.

"Speaking of the Feline Child," The Blot stroked a hand over his Ghoul as it left the vault, "Have you discovered a way to neutralize our little magician?"

The Mad Doctor grunt irksomely. He slapped his hand into the pan, grabbed the only remaining chip. "Unfortunately I have not." He grumbled, prodding the chip with his shock pen. "I know very little about her brand of magic." He put the pen down. "Though I can say with certainty her magic is not in the same category as the Turps and Tints." He held the chip in front of him, blowing the steam away. "They are magic born of the natural forces. Our feline, I suspect, is simply able to channel those forces." The red and black chip gleamed fresh and new. "One cannot build a defense out of sticks if the invaders are a stampede of bulls."

"Forgive me if I do not comprehend the meaning of your metaphor."

"Even if I repel the witch with whatever I have, she may be able to barrel through it." He elucidated impatiently. "It will serve us best if we study her just as we've done the mouse." The Blot nodded his head in comprehension. The Mad Doctor's logic held merit. Unless they learn more, the girl could prove to be more of a threat than the mouse. "Here," The Mad Doctor tossed the Blot his only remaining chip, "Attach this to your chest." It was different from all the others. The chip had the same red and black color scheme, but it was shaped more like a shield than a beetle. The Blot placed it to his inky chest. It sank under his skin, being swallowed up by his oozing body. Little tentacle like cables extended from the top corners and the bottom point, wrapping around the pulsating green orb hiding within the Blot. The tips of the cables wriggled into the back of the orb, connecting to him. As sharp pain ruptured. The Blot grunted uncomfortably, clenching his chest. "Think of that as the heart of my experiment." The Mad Doctor boasted, rubbing his hands together hungrily. "It will be the key to your revitalization."

"If it does not kill me first." The Blot grumbled. The pain almost immediately faded. He could feel the beat of his soul syncing with the pulses of the shield. "And not that I do not find this clever," The Blot cleared his throat, "Please bear in mind that our little friends are only stalled. The longer you take to play with your toys, the more time they are given weed through our little labyrinth."

"Oh ye of little faith." The Mad Doctor chortled mockingly. "Have you forgotten my side trip?" He teased. The Blot folded his arms defensively, raising a brow. He was not in the mood for riddles. "I did not propose Mickey Junk Mountain for nothing." He hummed maliciously. He picked a remote from his coat pocket and pressed a red button. His Beetleworx creations started to cause a ruckus, tossing his stuff all about, putting it into suitcases. The Blot smirked victoriously as the lab was being cleared away. The Mad Doctor cackled triumphantly, shuffling his rubbing gloved hands together. "Our little friends will be crestfallen by the time they reach my lab."

**(^U^)**

**Back at the Projector Square**

"THIS IS-HOW DID-IMPOSSIBLE!" Prescott sputtered, bouncing from one black projector screen to the other. He shook the screens violently, banged his wrench on the stands, and went so far as to call them names. The only one working was Ostown. "How could this have happened?" Prescott panicked, ripping out his hair. If he had any. "WHO WOULD DO THIS TO MY CREATIONS?" Cecelia and the others came running up to the Walt Statue. Horror filled gasps shrieked. Cecelia was a little surprised. She's only seen one projector and saw a Mickey Mouse picture. These ones were blank.

Prescott was frothing at the mouth. Steam whistled from his ears. He bounced on his head, circling the Walt statue while leaving impressions in the ground. Cecelia leaned in toward Oswald and whispered, "Why is Prescott Spontaneously Combusting?" Prescott would scream and ignite on fire. When he had to breathe in is when the flames would quell.

"He invented the projectors." Oswald answered. "He takes great pride in them." Prescott took off his glove and started gnawing at it. "And sort of falls apart when they are tampered with."

Cecelia gaped with exclamation points and question marks blipping around her head. Gus and Mickey restrained Prescott by the arm. He thrashed about with raging swirls in his eyes, muttering incoherently. He looked like a Chihuahua frothing whipped cream. Cecelia studied the projectors closely. All she could see is that the pictures were blacked out. "What happened to the projectors, anyway?"

"THE BLASTED FILM REEL GEARS ARE MISSING!" Prescott roared.

Oswald, Mickey, and Gus gaped in fright. Even the projector they needed – Bog Easy – was out of order. "How are we going to get to the Mad Doc's lab now?" Oswald wheezed.

"He probably did this to delay us!" Ortensia hissed.

"Can't more be made?" Cecelia asked.

Prescott wrenched himself from Mickey and Gus's grip. "It took me a year to make those!" He snarled, insulted his work was tampered with. "And it took just as long to make the projectors!"

"Wow." Cecelia gaped. "You work hard."

"Understatement!" Prescott spat.

"Surely you have replacements." Ortensia hoped.

"Not likely. After the thinner disaster much of my equipment was lost." He announced regretfully. "Including what I use to make the projectors."

"Does that mean you can't fix them?" Gus asked fretfully.

"Oh no. I can fix them. But we'll have to recover the gears." Prescott assured them.

"Maybe the doc hid them in plain sight." Mickey suggested. "Ostown and Mean Street are the only accessible places."

"Then let's search where we can." Oswald decreed. "Mickey, Ortensia, and I will ask around Mean Street. You three see what you can find out in Ostown."

"Aye-Aye Captain!" Gus saluted. Oswald waved them off and ran into the town. Mickey and Ortensia followed after him.

Prescott was so distracted by the projectors he didn't notice everyone had split off into teams. He was still perplexed by how the Mad Doctor could have taken the reels. Least of all without anyone noticing. Cecelia found herself in awe of Walt Disney's statue. She'd never met him in person, but she's heard many stories about him from Yensid. She felt honored to be in front of his statue.

"Alright troops!" Gus rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation. Cecelia and Prescott jumped in shock. "Shall we get this investigation started?"

As if on cue of the impending doom, Cecelia and Prescott glanced sideways to one another. Then they shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright." The two meandered for the Ostown Projector. Gus was baffled by their compliance. In the last hour they've thrown everything at one another, except the kitchen sink, for simply glancing improperly. Now…they're getting along? _Oh well. _Gus shrugged mentally. _Don't look a gift horse in the mouth._

**(^U^)**

The bells on shops rang incessantly. Mickey, Ortensia, and Oswald ran throughout all of Mean Street, ricocheting from one shop to the next. People walking in the streets were confronted. Even the Bunny Children were asked if they noticed anything. So far nothing was out of the ordinary. Which the three found odd. Considering they risked life and limb to get out of Dark Beauty castle.

Ortensia searched the Museum, City Hall, and the Fire House. She asked many of the patrons if they saw the film reel gear for the projectors. Her search yielded nothing. No one's really noticed anything out of the ordinary. They only realized something was wrong with the projectors when their friends hadn't returned from the other regions.

Before she could leave to continue her search, Laralee the Museum Owner asked Ortensia if she had seen Gremlin Sparks anywhere. He was fixing the pedestal for the 12 Spirits of Wasteland before he was called by Jamface. That was over an hour ago. No one's seen him since.

Ortensia shook her head. She had just barely gotten into town herself. She wouldn't notice the ice cream parlor missing. Laralee asked Ortensia if she wouldn't mind reminding asking Sparks to return to his project when she sees him. She needs him to finish up. The leftovers from his project and the E-Tickets she owes him will go to fixing up his forge. Ortensia promised she would tell him.

**(^U^)**

Oswald asked Horace, Casey the Ice Cream man, and Adelle and Jack at the Photographer's shop. Horace and Casey hadn't really noticed anything out of the ordinary. Adelle and Jack didn't see the projectors go down. But they did hear something strange before they heard the ruckus from the Haberdasher. Apparently his hippo and moose entered Ventureland and haven't come back. Anyway, the two heard the strangest sound. Metal…breaking…and a gargling squabble. But that was it. Oswald tapped his little chin. The gargling squabble sounds like the sounds a spatter would make. But the metal breaking? Could that have been the gear?

Jack Kelly stopped Oswald from leaving the shop. He wondered if Oswald could go to Ostown if he had the time. Markus was picking up little scraps of metal for a special camera Jack was making. He was scooped up by Sparks in a hurry. Telling him that Jamface needed their help with something urgent. The camera wasn't _too _important. It was just something he and Markus had been working on for a while. The parts would most likely be in a little container. A lunch box. He usually left their parts with the train conductor in the town.

Oswald didn't mind. He may have to stop by Ostown later on in the day, but he wouldn't mind delivering the parts. Jack thanked the Rabbit, and realty appreciated his help.

**(^U^)**

To Mickey's surprise, he had better luck with his search. The Train Conductor hadn't seen anything, but he does remember hearing one of the manhole covers to the underground slamming down. It slammed down hard.

The Haberdasher and Seth held bountiful information. Mostly because an altercation broke out between the two. Seth was being shoved out of Haberdasher's store for…saying the fuse box was faulty. And the Haberdasher took it as an insult. As Seth and the Haberdasher went outside, they saw two Spatters run around the corner and dive into the Underground. As of now, the Underground was basically the sewage system for all of the excess thinner flowing around. It had to be sent somewhere.

Seth and the Haberdasher weren't sure, but the two swore the spatters were carrying something. They didn't get a good look. All they knew is that a Spatter in town meant trouble, and trouble was the last thing anyone wanted at this point in their lives. What with them fixing everything after the thinner disaster and the damage the Blot wrought, in all.

Mickey assured the two that he and his friends would get to the bottom of things. The Haberdasher then warned Mickey that if he doesn't get his hippo and moose back soon…he would go absolutely mad. Mickey left without another word.

**(^U^)**

"Well I didn't have any luck." Ortensia pouted on the bench by the train station. "No one really noticed anything." She announced sadly. "At least not until someone they were waiting for hadn't come back." Mickey patted her shoulder, comforting her.

"I think I got something." Oswald announced. "Adelle and Jack said they heard a gargled squabbling and metal breaking." He reported, glancing between Ortensia and Mickey. "I think it may have been a Spatter taking the gear."

"You'd be right." Mickey snapped his fingers. "The Haberdasher and Seth say they saw two Spatters dive into the Underground with something in their hands." Oswald and Ortensia's eyes widened in shock. "It might have been the gear."

"Then that's where we're heading." Oswald declared, placing a fist in his palm.

"The Underground?" Ortensia hummed pensively. "If the Spatters went down there, there might be more Blotlings." She feared.

"Don't worry." Mickey smiled comfortingly. "Oswald and I will have things covered."

"Ortensia," Oswald held her hands, "Can you make a quick run to Ostown for me?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't want to go into the underground. Ortensia could be amazing, but even she can't handle Blotlings. "Jack Kelly has a package that Markus forgot to deliver. It's at the train station."

"Sure." She nodded. "Do be careful." She pleaded. "The Blotlings are getting dangerously violent." Oswald sealed his promise with a quick kiss to her nose. Ortensia giggled girlishly. Her heart fluttered. She poked his nose, "Good luck hunny bunny." Ortensia turned on her heels and rushed for the Ostown projector.

"Let's go to work Mick." Oswald led the way. Mickey chased after him. The two knelt down and hoisted the man hole from the tunnel. The two jumped in, vanishing in the dust.

**(^U^)**

**Several minutes earlier**

"COOL!" Cecelia beamed at the little town. A fresh asphalted ground, circling a small maple stone area occupied by a statue of Oswald in the middle of the town. Fresh green lawns, newly painted fences, lined the front perimeter of the several homes against one side of the blue sky mural. The name Ostown was written in cloudy shapes on a mural surrounding the town. "This is like a regular cul-de-sac."

"A what?" Prescott spat with an arched brow. Even Gus had to admit he was confused.

"A cul-de-sac." Cecelia repeated. "An end street lined with homes." She glanced to the streets, watching people meander along, laughing heartily. "Usually with people laughing and small block parties."

"Sounds like you get out." Gus remarked with a smile.

Cecelia choked up a little. She grunted uncomfortably. Her lower lip curled into her teeth. Prescott was bewildered by her discomfort. "Not…really." Her voice cracked. "I'm not a party person."

"Could have fooled me." Prescott mumbled. "You're pretty wild for a child."

Cecelia furrowed her brow with a childish pout, folding her arms. "And you're a choir boy?" She retaliated. Prescott opened his mouth to protest, then quickly recoiled. He nodded with a shrug of his hand, having to agree. Cecelia grinned victoriously. "So where do we look first?"

"GUS! PRESCOTT!" A familiar voice to the Gremlins Ahyucked. The three turned to see a mechanical dog man running towards them, waving his one arm. "THERE YA ARE!"

Cecelia was startled by his appearance. Subconsciously she staggered back. Gus caught her with a gentle grasp of her shoulders. "Don't be frightened." He whispered encouragingly. "He's a friend." Cecelia doubted his words. New faces – present company excluded – were dubious.

"I'm glad I found you two!" The dog panted, halting a few feet from the Cecelia and Gremlins. Cecelia twisted behind Gus. "There were-oh." He stopped, noticing Cecelia cowering behind Gus. "Well…" He smiled, kneeling down, "Who do we have here?" Cecelia clenched her hands to Gus's suit.

"Allow me to introduce Cecelia." Gus pet her head, hoping to ease her shyness. "She's a friend of Mickey's."

"In that case any friend of Mickey's is a friend of mine." Goofy extended a hand. "Howdy there Miss Cecelia." Goofy greeted tenderly. "The name's Goofy."

Cecelia shuffled slowly from around Gus, fiddling with her fingers on her chest. Her ears were dropping down, her tail curled around her leg. "H-Hello." She squeaked, sluggishly reaching a hand out.

"Pleased tuh meet ya." Goofy took the hand, shaking it firmly. "You're a real purdy girl. Ya know that? Cute too." He giggled. He scratched behind her ear, "Like a little kitten." Cecelia's cheeks flushed pink. Her shyness faded.

"AHEM!" Prescott cleared his throat. "Not that this little…" He wriggled his hand sardonically, "_Meet and greet _isn't nauseatingly charming," He pushed Goofy back with on hand, "You seemed to desire our attention with the utmost _urgency_." He stressed his impatience. "You paused at _There was a…_"

"OH RIGHT!" Goofy knocked on his head. Prescott rolled his eyes. "Two Spatters ran into the Gag Factory a while ago."

"WHAT!" Prescott boomed.

"Yeah. And they were carrying somethin'. Somethin' metal."

"The gear?" Cecelia blurted.

"Most likely." Gus agreed.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT'S BLOODY_ PROBABLE OR POSSIBLE!_" Prescott roared. Cecelia hugged Gus, and those two and Goofy cringed under his rage. "THERE ARE SPATTERS IN MY WORKSHOP!" He revved his fluttering feet. Smoke spewed from his screeching tire like feet. "THOSE LITTLE RATS WILL BURN!" He rocketed across the yard, barreling through the doors of his factory.

Gus and Cecelia looked at each other, petrified. Gus grabbed Cecelia by the hand and flew her into the factory. Prescott was standing in the middle of his factory. Shelves and crates of gags, a little stage for who knows what, and strange gloved hands on the ceiling. Prescott was frothing at the mouth, his eyes swirling with raging red circles. His fingers crackled like claws. Prescott darted from one wall to the next, flipping his tables and shelves.

"PRESCOTT STOP!" Gus pleaded. Prescott circled Gus and Cecelia so many times the two grew dizzy.

Cecelia shook her head and growled. She falred her fingers on one hand like a fan in front of her face. "_The ties that bind, constrict, and tighten!_" Cecelia's finger nails were coated in orange. Prescott chewed the gloved crane on his ceiling. "_Obligo!_" She cast her hand out. Thick threads launched from her fingernails. Just as Prescott was ready to toss the kitchen sink the threads bound him, tying his arms to his sides. Cecelia and Gus pulled, yanking him to the ground. "Do the words _ANGER MANAGEMENT _hold significance?!" Cecelia scolded him.

Gus swooped over and poured a glass of water on Prescott. The purple blue gremlin shook his head with a burr, shaking the water off. "Thanks. I needed that." He panted, cooling off. "And Goofy was right." He nudged his head toward a dark spot on the floor. "Spatters have been in my workshop." Gus hovered over the spot, analyzing it critically. He swept a finger over the spot. It was smudgy, thick, and creamy. All of the ingredients of a Spatter. "It took me weeks to clear all signs of the Blot from my shop!" He fumed. Cecelia retracted the threads, believing him…somewhat calm. "The knowledge those _VERMIN _are in my shop irks me!"

"Clearly." Cecelia mumbled, meandering to the shelves. "Whoa…" She marveled. "You made all of these?" She grabbed a pink cushion from the shelf. _Whoopie._

"Yes!" Prescott folded his arms defensively. "And it took tons of hard work and planning to make them all." He stated, verbally patting himself on the back. "That there is called the Whoopie Cushion."

"Whoopie cushion?" Cecelia tail rippled with intrigue.

"Cecelia I don't think-" Prescott put a hand to his mouth.

Cecelia teasingly squeezed the cushion. It was so inflatable. Like a balloon. The end piece piqued her curiosity. It wasn't tied. _What's meant to happen? _Placing the cushion flat on her palm she smashed her other hand into it, squeezing hard. "_Born ham, that's basically me_." The deep, velvet voice of a woman recited. Question marks blipped around Cecelia head. She squeezed again, "_I want Timon and Pumbaa to explain the sky to me._" Cecelia was confused again, but smiled. She liked the voice. It was comforting.

Prescott swooped in. "Sorry about that." He took the cushion and flipped it to the back. "This is the Whoopi Goldberg Cushion." **(Ba-dum bum tss. www. brainyquote quotes /authors/ w/whoopi _ )**

Cecelia covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. Interesting play on words. Prescott returned the cushion and retrieved a different one. "This is what you were looking for." He faced the end piece towards her. The cushion she had felt more rubbery…a bit grainy. She placed it between her hands.

"DON'T-" Prescott stifled him again. Cecelia squeezed as hard as she could.

**(^U^)**

**Outside**

Goofy was talking with Clarabelle about how he would love to have another one of her award winning pies, when…_AHHOOOGA! _A fog horn blared from the Gag Factory, a powerful gust of wind blowing through the town. "WHOA!" Goofy breathed. "That was one humdinger of a breeze, wasn't it?"

Clarabelle's cheeks flushed bright, her fingers to her mouth in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

**(^U^)**

**Back in the Gag Factory**

Cecelia stood in the middle of the room, her eyes wide and her hair blown back straight. Absolute stun plastered to her face. Prescott and Gus leaned in, wondering if she was broken. She blinked twice, and then, "PFFT…PAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!" She lurched forward, holding her stomach. The cushion bounced on the ground. "THAT WAS BRILLIANT!" Prescott flexed his collar proudly. Gus bowed in respect. "What else do you have?" She asked excitedly.

"Please remember," Gus stepped in between them, "We are here to find the Spatters! The gear they stole?"

"Aw…" Prescott and Cecelia groaned, slouching.

"None of that." He reprimanded. "Now, if Spatters were in here, is there a way they could have escaped without being seen?"

"Jamface could tell us." Prescott suggested. "That is IF he was still here!" He roared, kicking chattering teeth into a wall. "He was supposed to look after the place while I was out."

"I thought Stuffus was looking after the Factory." Gus retorted.

"He was until his hay fever acted up and he sneezed my windows out." Rectangular windows nearest the ceiling were completely missing. Not even the wooden sill remained. Cecelia wasn't sure if she wanted to meet this _Stuffus _just yet. At least not without an anchor. "I asked Jamface because he mentioned wanting to fix the sewer hole in the back-OH!" It came to him abruptly. "If Jamface hasn't gotten to it, there should still be a sewer entrance in the back room."

"Why do you have a sewer entrance?" Cecelia asked.

"Because the gators from Bog Easy used to live here." Cecelia gulped nervously. "Come on." Prescott led the way. Cecelia stayed put. Gus grabbed Cecelia and hoisted her in the air, following after Prescott.

Prescott wrenched the back door open. An awful stench flooded from the room, fleeing itself. Another fog horn blared with the pale green aroma. Cecelia, Prescott, and Gus plugged their noses, almost turning green themselves. Rats, cockroaches, and flies with gas masks fled the room. "Did the gators die?" Cecelia's stomach gargled.

"Smells like it!" Gus heaved. "Good gracious!" He waved his hand. "What man alive could make such a stench?"

"HEY!" A sickening familiar voice roared from the darkened room. "NOW DAT AIN'T CALLED FOR!" The sound of a footstep and peg leg came trudging for them. Cecelia's jaw hit the floor. Another Pete came sauntering from the room. He was wearing a Swedish dress and had Goldilocks' in braids under a hat. "Can't a person eat his lunch in peace?" Horrid screams erupted from the paper bag leaking something fowl.

"Lunch? Small Pete?" Gus questioned in horror.

"Yeah! Lunch!" He reached in a pulled out a foot long sub sandwich. A rancid stench emanated in the faces of the sickened three. "Meatball, limburger, and sour croute samich extra marinade and ice-cream." Prescott, Cecelia, and Gus's faces turned sickly green, their cheeks puffing with approaching vomit. "And just a smidge of ranch dressing and cinnamon – for dat extra zing. Heh-heh. It's de extra touches that make ALLL the difference in a man's lunch." The second Small Pete took a bite out of his sandwich, he chewed with his mouth opened and moaned happily.

Prescott, Cecelia, and Gus reached off to the sides and grabbed trash cans. "_BLEEHHHH!_"

"Well…" Small Pete swallowed his food, "If dat's da tanks I get for looking out for da place, then I'm outta here!" He stormed passed the exacerbated three.

"WAIT!" It occurred to Prescott. "Did you see two blotlings come this way?"

"Not a thing!" Small Pete waved off. "Just barely got back all of five minutes before you!"

The smudge Prescott found was older than that. Possible half an hour older. "What happened to Jamface?"

"WHO CARES?" Small Pete marched for the front door. "All I know is he left in a hurry!" The doors slammed. The three flinched.

"Well he's…helpful?" Cecelia didn't know what to say. She was disoriented from the fumes.

"On the plus side the stench is evaporating." Gus sprayed springtime air freshener in the air. "My eyes have nearly stopped watering."

"Just in time." Prescott tugged on a man hole. There were ink smudges on the rim. It was loose, but heavy. "Give me a hand with this, will you!" Cecelia and Gus ran over and hooked the man hole. On the count of three they lifted and shuffled the manhole to the side. A gentle breeze gusted from the hole. Surprisingly it smelt better than the death sandwich.

It was dark and dank, impossible to see the bottom. Or the first five feet anyway. "So…" Cecelia trailed off. "What? Do we get a ladder or-" Prescott whirled his foot and kicked her in the tail. "OW! AHHH!" Cecelia fell down the hole, screaming.

Gus sighed heavily. "Must you behave like a child?" He scolded the younger Gremlin.

"I do run the Gag Factory." Prescott stated haughtily. "It would be ironic if I didn't pull a trick." He dove into the hole.

"The fact you have a sense of humor is ironic." Gus took a deep breath, plugged his nose, and cannonballed into the sewer.

**Because I can…TO BE CONTINUED!**

**I'm tired and can't come up with anything else.**

**LATER!**


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